


Meet You in the Red Room

by Kate_Shepard



Series: Chains [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birth not described, Blow Jobs, Dubious Consent, Forced Abortion, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, No Underage Sex, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rescue, Sexual Slavery, Shepard is not abusive, Slavery, Smut, Some aliens are human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 10:57:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 77,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19945045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Shepard/pseuds/Kate_Shepard
Summary: Kane Ryder is an omega sold into slavery at a time when betas have decided that alphas and omegas are no longer needed to populate the Earth. When Shepard is assigned to investigate abuses at the brothel, he expects an informant. What he finds instead is an omega who is down but not broken, and in him Kane finds more than an ally. He finds the alpha of his dreams. But his owner has other plans for him. Will Shepard and Ryder be able to find a way to save him before it's too late?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Potionsmaster for assisting with brainstorming and sketching out scenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story starts when Kane is young, but sexual contact does not happen until he comes of age. Don't worry, this is not an underage fic.

“Given his height, we assumed that Kane was either an alpha or a beta; however, our test revealed unexpected prohormones. I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Favila. Kane is an omega.”

“Does that have any connection to him glowing blue?”

“No, sir. That is biotics. They’re a fairly new phenomenon in humans and we don’t know much about them yet, but it’s a separate issue.”

“Are you certain, doctor? We were very clear in our adoption request that we wanted a beta child. The complications…”

“Can be managed through behavioral therapy, Mrs. Favila,” the doctor cut in. “Granted, it doesn’t work in all cases and can only mitigate the worst of the issues, but it is manageable. And he won’t hit puberty for a few years yet, so you have time to make preparations.”

“Is there a way to change it? I’ve heard of surgical options, gland removal… And can he be made not... _biotic_?”

“No, Mr. Favila. Excising his eezo nodules could give him cancer—which he’s lucky he doesn’t already have—and his gender was determined at birth. His omega glands are still developing, but removing them will not make him a beta. It would be disabling. The procedure was banned in the medical community on ethical grounds a century ago after extensive testing.”

“How is it even possible?” Ana asked in her softly-accented voice. “We were told his birth mother was a beta artificially inseminated by an alpha. He was guaranteed to be a beta.”

The doctor inclined his head. “His birth mother must have had an alpha or omega parent or have been an omega herself. There is a reason alphas and omegas don’t typically breed with the general beta population that goes beyond the physical difficulties. The only guarantees are alphas pairing with omegas or betas pairing with other betas. Once the two mix, it comes down to probabilities.”

“Why weren’t we told that?” his father asked.

“According to his chart, his birth mother died of an eezo-related disease while giving birth, which would explain his biotics. His birth parents don’t appear to have intended to put him up for adoption and his mother may not have had her genetics tested. It’s only required in breeding centers or when the child is committed to being placed for adoption.” The doctor continued slowly, “Also, depending on the adoption firm, some of these places are not as...particular...in their record-keeping as one would expect. It’s possible that this Alec and Ellen Ryder weren’t his birth parents at all.”

“So, there’s nothing to be done?” his mother asked in a wavering voice. 

“I’m afraid not,” the doctor said firmly. “He is still your son. This diagnosis doesn’t change who he is. It simply allows you to acquire the tools to deal with it.”

“Can we return him?” his father asked, at least having the grace to drop his voice and shoot a sideways look at him. 

The doctor scowled. “No, sir. I’m afraid that isn’t possible. Adoptions are legally binding. You are his parents.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Ana said, placing a hand on Alejandro’s arm. “Come on, honey. Let’s go.”

Kane stopped swinging his legs and trying to sink through the paper-covered exam bed. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but it sounded like he was dying or a monster or something. _Can we return him?_ Like he was a broken toy. His short nails dug into his fists as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. Mama and Papa didn’t love him anymore and he didn’t even know why.

“Mama, what is an omega?” he asked in Spanish when they shuffled him into the car. 

“It's...nothing _,_ dear _._ Don't worry about it,” she replied in kind. 

Later that night, he crept down the stairs and hid in the hallway to listen to his parents speak. He wanted to know what an omega was and what it meant for him. Ana sat in her favorite rocking chair with knitting forgotten in her lap. Alejandro paced slowly, fingertips rubbing the crease between his eyebrows. Their faces were drawn and pale. 

“I don’t know what he expects us to do,” Alejandro said, raking a hand through his dark hair. They were still speaking Spanish, so they didn’t expect him to be listening. His English wasn’t very good yet, so that’s what they used when they didn’t want him to understand what they were saying. Following the conversation in the doctor’s office had been hard and most of it hadn’t made sense.

“We can’t keep him,” Ana agreed. “Can you imagine when he goes into heat? We’ll have every alpha in town sniffing at the door. Even if they don’t, he’ll eventually go to them. I agreed to raise one baby, not a teenage boy’s. And the complications if he _does_ get...you know. Then there are the biotics. I don’t even know what those are or what he can do. Can he read our minds? Could he hurt us? How do we know it’s safe to be around him. Today, he glows. What will he do tomorrow? What will _we_ do, Alé?”

“We can try contacting the adoption agency and seeing if they’ll take him back,” he said, “but I imagine the doctor knows what he’s talking about.”

“It would have been ideal,” Ana sighed.

“Aren’t there laws protecting people who give up children as long as they do so at an orphanage or a fire or police department?” he asked.

Her brow furrowed. “I think those only apply to babies, not children.”

“We could sell him,” Alejandro said, pausing in the center of the path he was wearing in the carpet. “Harkin pays good money for unclaimed, virgin omegas. Not as much as if he was female, but the biotics might add to his value. There is a niche in the redlight district for boys like him as...consorts.” Alejandro’s nose wrinkled on the last word, like it did when he tasted something he didn’t like.

“That’s our little boy you’re talking about, Alé,” came the weak reply. “What kind of people are we to even consider that?”

Alejandro sighed and turned to face Ana. “But he’s not. Not really. We specifically requested a beta. He was given to us as a beta. He isn’t one. Which means he isn’t the son we thought he was. And you’re right. He could be dangerous.”

“They should have caught it,” Ana sighed. “If they knew that the genetics could be different from what’s normally to be expected, then they should have tested him. If they knew his mother was exposed to eezo, they should have warned us.”

“I agree,” Alejandro said. “But they didn’t. Which means we need to figure something out. Like you said, his first heat will draw every unbonded alpha within ten miles. We wanted a beta so that we didn’t have to deal with the alpha aggression or an omega whore running about, popping out babies. We don’t have a way to stop him from seeking out an alpha unless we’re willing to handcuff him to his bed and he might hurt us for it if we try. He’ll get pregnant his first heat and then we’ll have to send him to a breeding center. We can wait and let them have him for free, or we can sell him to Jerry and get enough to try adoption again.” His voice softened. “Or we can use the credits to fund fertility treatments. Have a child of our own.”

“Really?” Ana asked, her dark eyes shining up at his father. “You would do that?”

“It was prohibitive before, but we’re in a better place now,” Alejandro said. “We can afford to try.”

Ana looked down at her knitting. “Harkin’s...customers...they wouldn’t take him before he’s ready, would they? He’d make them wait for his heat, right?”

“Of course,” he said. 

Her smile lit her face, crinkling her eyes and making dimples appear alongside her mouth. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“Yes, _mi vida_. We’ll have a baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand that abo, and especially mpreg, aren't everyone's cup of tea. If that isn't your trope, this fic isn't for you. Please feel free to hit the 'back' button and refrain from reading.


	2. Chapter 2

The following week, Kane stood in his living room with a foul-smelling alpha sneering down at him as the man Papa said was Harkin turned his face left and right. He didn’t want the man’s fingers on his chin and he certainly didn’t want him pulling the waistband of his pants away to look down them. Heat washed over his face and he jerked away, shooting a pleading look at Papa to step in. 

Alejandro simply leaned against the doorframe and watched. “Be still, Kane. Let him look.”

“ _Pero, Pa_ \--”

“No ‘buts’, boy. Do as I say,” Alejandro said, scowling at him. 

Tears hung like dewdrops from his eyelashes as the man pulled Kane’s pants fully down and crouched behind him. His chin trembled and he bit his lip hard to keep it from doing the same. Mama and Papa had always told him never to let anyone who wasn’t a medical professional look at or touch him in his private places. The man’s touch was impersonal, like a doctor, but Kane didn’t think he was one. 

“He’s definitely an omega,” the man said, standing up. Kane jerked his pants back up, refusing to look at either of them. “And a pretty one, too. Doe eyes, I think they call ‘em. Eyelashes like a girl. And that mouth. Umph. He’ll look fresh-faced and innocent for a while yet. He’s built to be a breeder, but I got clients who’ll pay extra for a princess like him. He’s still young, though. Means I’m gonna have to pay to feed and house him. State’s got laws about educating them. You want me to take him off your hands now, I ain’t gonna be able to pay what I would in a couple years when he’ll cost me less.”

“Ana wants him gone. And I need him out before she changes her mind,” Alejandro said. “He belongs with his own kind. No offense.”

Harkin’s laugh was dark and bitter. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all. You know without us, there would be no goddamn betas to look down their noses. ‘Our kind’ was good enough to breed with yours when it meant saving the human race. And now ‘our kind’ are still good enough s’long as they’re omegas. You don’t want us alphas going around rutting on you and you don’t want us breeding anymore now that the population’s stabilizing, but I’m the bad guy for giving them somewhere to go.”

Alejandro rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You know what I meant, Jerry. You provide the service you do for a reason. We can’t have unbonded alphas and omegas roaming the streets, slaves to their biology. You give them a safe place to indulge their...urges.” Again with the nose wrinkle.

“That’s what the brochures say, yeah. But you know as well as I do what it is. You sure you want your boy goin’ to that?” Harkin asked.

“He isn’t mine,” Alejandro said. “If not you, I can always sell him to a breeding facility _now_ before he gets knocked up.” 

“Hold up, now. They don’t pay nearly as good as I will. And he’s too pretty to be locked away where nobody can appreciate him. It ain’t just alphas who come to us. There’s betas out there with fetishes. People who want to experience a knot, men who want a lubricated ass. Omegas who don’t want a knot. Shit like that. That mouth of his’ll make him a hot commodity with them. Fine. I’ll take him. Go get your shit, omega. One bag.”

“Papa,” Kane protested, hating the waver in his voice. “ _No quiero ir_.” 

“I'm not your father, omega _._ Go with your alpha,” Alejandro said. 

Kane trudged up the stairs, fighting tears. He paused to bang on his parents’ door, hoping that Mama would make him change his mind, but she didn’t answer and the door stayed firmly shut. He went to his room and looked around at the comic book posters on the wall, the action figures lining his bookshelves, the toys scattered across the floor. His whole life was in this room. One bag. He dragged his duffel out of the closet and began carefully placing his favorite toys and books into it, along with a few changes of clothes. When he was finished, he tugged it down the stairs behind him and cast a final, searching look at his father.

“Oh? And Jerry? Make sure he takes his birth name back,” Alejandro said.

“What’s that?” Harkin asked.

“Ryder. Kane Scott Ryder.”  
  


* * *

Kane sighed as he transferred a heavy armful of wet towels from the washing machine to the dryer and wiped the back of his hand over his damp forehead. The thick, humid air in the poorly ventilated laundry room was hard to breathe and droplets of water clung to the moldy ceiling above, dripping down into his dark hair. No one came down here if they could help it, but until his first heat, he was nothing but labor. Fine by him. He knew what happened to omegas during heat and what the solution was. He’d seen alpha knots. It looked more painful than heat.

With the towels drying, he had a few minutes to himself, so he reached behind the machine for the sealed bag he’d tucked away for safekeeping. Inside was a battered and worn copy of _Ender’s Game_ , one of the last pieces of his childhood he still had. Harkin had confiscated most of his books and the other kids had stolen his toys within the first week at the ‘mating center’. This and _The Bad Beginning_ of A Series of Unfortunate Events were all he had left. He carefully unwrapped it and settled into the nook between the washing machine and the wall. 

He hadn’t entirely understood what was happening when his father sold him to Harkin. He’d known nothing about alphas and omegas as a child. When Harkin had driven them down the Tenth Street section of the Redlight District, he had thought at first that the ‘mating centers’ lined up on each side of the road were for animals. It wasn’t until later that he’d realized they were brothels geared toward alphas and omegas. He hadn’t known then that Tenth Street was the only area in which they were allowed to operate or where alphas were allowed to take their business. He’d been too young to recognize Harkin’s plans for him when he came of age, too young to realize he’d been getting examined like a broodmare. He’d only known it was shameful. 

It was nice to think that he would’ve run if he’d known, but where would he run to? An unbonded omega on his own outside a mating or breeding center—or, he’d heard but couldn’t confirm, the military—was asking for trouble. Alphas and omegas were largely segregated from the beta majority, bound by different laws and customs than the rest of the population, viewed as breeding stock by most. They might as well have been animals. 

Betas didn’t understand the biological urges that drove them because they didn’t have any strong enough to compel them to behave in particular ways. Betas were susceptible to illnesses spread by sexual contact. Alphas and omegas weren’t. Betas sometimes had difficulty reproducing while alphas and omegas were prolific. Laws had been enacted after the devastating First Contact War to ensure that alphas and omegas did their part to repopulate the species while keeping their sex drives away from the general population. 

Mating centers had come about in response to the public realization that an alpha attempting to mate with a beta without medical intervention could cause serious physical damage and unfounded fears that alphas without a ready outlet would go around raping betas at will. 

The truth of the matter was that the only people in danger of that from alphas were omegas, but an alpha couldn’t legally rape an omega, and the betas didn’t want to listen to reason. They just wanted to feel safer. So ‘mating centers’ were sanctioned, and the government even subsidized their operating expenses as long as they maintained a bare minimum set of standards and sent retired or impregnated ‘consorts’ to breeding facilities and gave up the rights to any children sired. 

Harkin wasn’t unique in his practice of purchasing omega children. Children raised in the centers were more likely to accept and perform well in their roles where adults generally came to them when they had no other options and didn’t acclimate as well. There were protections in place for omega kids until they presented with their first heat, at which point they were considered adults and subject to the same laws as all the rest. They were taught what was expected of them as well as basic academics so that by the time they were old enough to be used, it was ingrained in them to touch and flirt and seduce without needing to think about it.

Until he went into heat, though, Kane was safe. No one could touch him. Unfortunately, that time was getting close. He was old enough for it now and he’d begun to fill out physically, though he was still lean in the way of most omegas even if he’d continued to get taller. He was beginning to grow hair on his face and his last medical check had shown that his hormone glands were fully formed. His sense of smell was beginning to sharpen and he could now differentiate alphas from omegas by scent and judge some emotional states the same way. 

He wished that omegas developed as slowly as betas or alphas. Omegas reached adulthood around sixteen or seventeen while betas had an extra year or two and alphas weren’t legally recognized as adults until they were twenty-one because they took so long to reach full maturity. Alphas could breed more than one omega in a year, though. Omegas’ short pregnancies meant that they technically _could_ get pregnant from both heats and carry to term, but pregnancy and childbirth delayed a second heat to the point where one breeding a year was all that was practical. That meant that biology had needed a way to maximize their childbearing years. After all, that’s all they were built for, he reflected bitterly. 

Harkin had started him both on hormone suppressants to prevent bonding—a bonded omega didn’t make a good consort, after all—and birth control to take care of pregnancy. He’d heard the suppressants and birth control weren’t legal, that some friend of Harkin’s cooked them up in a lab, but he couldn’t be sure and Harkin wasn’t giving any details. ‘Just in case,’ was all he’d say. Couldn’t be too careful with his ‘princess.’ 

‘Princess.’ Kane _hated_ that nickname. He never had grown into his eyes and his lashes were still the envy of all of the female omegas and a few female alphas as well. He’d caught the looks some of their beta and omega clients shot at his mouth and cursed the full lips that still made him look pouty even when he smiled, something that was a rarity these days. 

The dryer pinged, so he closed the book and carefully wrapped it in its packaging to protect it from moisture before tucking it back into its hiding place. He removed the towels and folded them by rote, stacking them high to avoid a second trip down into the dank basement. Cleaning towels was a constant job with mating alphas around, so the stack towered above his head. He didn’t need to see where he was going. After a decade at the center, he could find his way around by feel and memory alone. 

He weaved through the back passageways through which omega consorts, maintenance betas, and the security mechs traveled to avoid the clientele in the front, depositing towels in each of the many bedrooms. When the stack got short enough for him to see, he carefully avoided looking at the beds. He didn’t want to imagine what took place there even if he’d seen it countless times before.

“Uh oh,” Jeff said when he entered the dorm he shared with the other omega children who hadn’t come of age yet. Jeff was the exception, an omega who couldn’t be bred due to a genetic condition that meant anyone who tried was likely to break him. Harkin kept him around for the tax break that came with caring for an unbonded, unbreedable omega so that the government didn’t have to. Kane didn’t care _why_ he was there, just that he _was_. Jeff was the only person in this place Kane would consider a friend. 

“Wha’s ‘uh oh’?” Kane asked, throwing himself down onto his bed with a sigh. 

“Have you smelled yourself lately, Ryder?” Jeff asked, limping over to lean in and take a long sniff in Kane’s direction. 

Kane jerked back with a scowl. “Rude, Jeff. Boundaries, remember?” 

“Yeah,” Jeff scoffed. “Those boundaries of yours are about to get a lot smaller, buddy. You’re going into heat. I can smell it.” 

Dread pooled and coiled in his gut, making it churn. “No, I’m not,” he protested. “I feel fine.”

“You won’t in a few hours,” Jeff said with a frown. “You’re gonna have to tell Harkin. Give him time to get whoever won the bid in.”

“No,” he argued, his eyes widening. “He can’t make me. I’m not an omega whore. I’m _not_.”

“You _are_ ,” Jeff said, not unkindly. “And the sooner you admit that, the better it’ll be on you.”

“You always go through your heats alone,” Kane pointed out. 

“Because the alternative is _literally_ breaking every bone in my body,” Jeff countered. “So even though it may _feel_ like they’re all breaking, at least I don’t have to spend time recovering afterward. Trust me, if that wasn’t the case, I’d be begging for a damn alpha three days before my heat started. You want to go talk to Harkin. Now.”

Kane shook his head and swung his legs over the side of the bed, scrubbing his hands over his face. Jeff knew what he was talking about. If he said he was going into heat, he was going into heat. Now that he’d brought it up, Kane realized the sweat that had formed in the basement had yet to completely dry and his neck felt hot under the ragged collar of his hand-me-down shirt. Jeff’s earthy, gun oil and sunflower scent feathered through the room, more potent than it had been even that morning. 

It wasn’t far-fetched to believe that it had finally started. He just didn’t _want_ to believe it. The thought of being bent over one of the wide beds with a massive alpha cock in his ass made ice run through his veins. He knew intellectually that he was designed to stretch to accommodate, but he couldn’t imagine a knot feeling anything but painful. The dicks were big enough before the knot. He had no interest in being ripped into that way. And it wasn’t like alphas were _gentle_ about it. He’d heard they were when bonded, but he’d never seen it. The ones who came to the mating center did so specifically so they didn’t have to control themselves. The other omegas might claim they liked it, especially in heat, but Kane was sure they were lying. 

He trudged past cubicles of steel and frosted glass with a heavy tread. He’d been dreading this day for years and now it was here. Three days of incredible pain or three days being mated by a stranger. What a fucking choice. 

He paused outside Harkin’s office, considering it. He could handle pain. He’d gotten enough of it when he’d first come here until one of the other boys had split his lip and Harkin had put a stop to it for fear of his face getting scarred up. If he could just hide away for a few days, maybe they’d assume he hadn’t had it yet. Jeff wouldn’t tell and no one else knew yet. It would buy him six more months, six months in which he could plan an escape. 

He turned on his heel and ran through the labyrinthine hallways until he found a utility closet no one went into. His mind raced as he looked around the small space. He’d need blankets, food, water. The kitchen was currently closed, so he could sneak in and raid the pantry. He couldn’t go back to the dorm, but another closet would yield blankets for him to nest in. He just had to be smart and this could work.


	3. Chapter 3

This wasn’t going to work. Muscle spasms wracked Kane’s body, the pressure surely enough to break bones and damage his organs, and fuck whether he was being melodramatic or not. It _hurt_. Heat—literal heat—flashed through him, coating him with sweat and making even his clothing too much to bear. He’d ripped them off a few minutes or an eternity ago and thrown them into the corner by the mop buckets. It concentrated at his ass, but try as he might to convince himself that it was perspiration slicking his cheeks, it was too viscous to be anything but lubrication. 

Three times now, he’d found himself pawing at the doorknob on his hands and knees, his body screaming at him to find an alpha—any alpha—to make the pain go away. So far, he’d managed to stop himself. Between waves, he still believed that the idea of having a stranger essentially shove a fist up his ass was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. But while he was curled in on himself, his ass _spasming_ , the argument felt less and less valid. And he still had two and a half days of this shit to get through. 

Vetra, one of the consorts, was constantly sneaking in books from the outside, though he had yet to figure out how she did it. She got them for Sid, her little sister, a redheaded omega with a romantic streak. When Sid was done with them, she’d share them with the others, and they made the rounds a few times before Harkin found out and confiscated them. 

The stories were all fairy tales about pairs where the handsome alpha swooped in and rescued the downtrodden omega. They would inevitably fall in love and bond. The alpha would be kind, considerate, and utterly devoted to making sure the omega was cared for and happy. And they were. They always were. At least once per story, the newly mated pair would gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes, breathing deeply of their combined scents. In the end, they always lived happily ever after with a kid or two that they adored, a real family with a real home. 

Maybe, _maybe_ , if he’d had that to look forward to, he wouldn’t mind so much. He had yet to see any evidence that the stories were anything other than fiction written by betas to fetishize half the population. That didn’t mean he couldn’t dream about it, that he couldn’t imagine gentle hands on his body, an exploration rather than an invasion, a strong alpha who wanted to protect rather than possess….

The door ripped open behind him as another wave flashed over inside him, and the musty scent of _alpha_ filled the cramped space. His head jerked around, eyes wide, nostrils flared, to find Harkin scowling down at him with another omega behind him. 

“Told you I smelled omega in heat,” Richard said eagerly. Kane fixed him with a glare, snarling at the omega who dared stand too close to the only available alpha. 

“Back off, Jenkins,” Harkin sneered. “You don’t want the princess to rip you a new one, do you?” 

Richard’s eyes widened and the boy put his hands up, backing slowly away. “I don’t want the alpha,” he said demurely. “He’s all yours, Ryder.”

Disgust warred with desire as Kane helplessly turned his gaze to Harkin, hating the mewling sound coming from the back of his throat. Harkin chuffed, swiping another glob of the mentholated ointment he always had on his glistening upper lip to block out their scents. Harkin never touched any of the omegas here, saying he didn’t piss where he ate. Like most of the other headmasters in the district, he went to one of the other mating centers on the street, unwilling to potentially bond to one of his own boys. His touch was as impersonal as it had been the day he’d examined him when he wrapped his hand around Kane’s arm and dragged him out of his nest.

“First heat and you’re already more trouble than you’re worth,” he groused, hauling Kane down the hallway. “Paid good credits for you to mate and now you’re trying to cost me money. You have any idea how much I’m getting for your virginity, omega? Enough to cover your purchase price and bring me flush for your raising, that’s how much. And you’re trying to hide in a damn closet and ride it out. Goddamn fool. You think I wouldn’t have smelled you across the building an hour from now?” He shoved him into an empty bedroom with a low, “Stay here,” and slammed the door behind him.

Kane prowled the room, simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by the bed in the center. When the next wave of heat pain hit, though, he crawled into it, curling into a ball on his knees and rocking himself in an attempt to soothe it. Tears burned his eyes, carving silver trails down his cheeks when he thought about what was to come. His plan hadn’t worked. He’d been caught. Now he was about to endure his worst nightmare, and he could do nothing but pray that the alpha, whoever he was, hurry because he was _dying_ from this. He screwed his eyes shut and buried his cheek in a pillow that smelled of no one.

“Oh, you are a pretty one, aren’t you?” The crooning voice was accompanied by the pungent odor of campfire and oatmeal and the sharp musk of alpha in rut. Kane opened his eyes to see a sturdily-built blonde boy not much older than himself standing beside the door, very obviously breathing through his mouth. “I’m Conrad. My dad said I should go through my first rut with an omega in their first heat. I didn’t know who I’d get, but I’m glad it’s you. I think you’re really pretty and I’m gonna try not to hurt you too bad.” 

The boy stopped and took a breath, tensing as his nostrils flared. Conrad took a step forward, firmly closing the door behind him, eyes locked on Kane’s naked form. Panic flared, sending his heart stampeding in his chest. His entrance loosened, wetness slicking his ass cheeks in preparation for the coming invasion. The bed dipped with the alpha’s weight and then hands were framing his hips and moving him onto his knees. The alpha’s nose trailed behind his ear and his chest expanded with his inhale. 

“Dad said I’m supposed to bite you to get you to relax,” the boy said. Kane jumped and then went limp beneath him when the alpha’s teeth buried themselves in the skin at the back of his neck. 

The bite _hurt_ , but it had the desired effect. His muscles relaxed even as his mind cried out that he didn’t really want this, no matter how badly his skin was burning and even if his hips were tilting up of their own volition. 

The boy nudged his entrance, his cock thick and hot against Kane’s slick skin. Kane’s face twisted in a grimace Conrad couldn’t see as the alpha slammed home inside him. He mewled, pleasure and dismay warring inside him. He didn’t want to want it, but instinct took over, his body responding mindlessly to the alpha’s graceless thrusts. 

“ _Por favor_ ,” he whimpered, uncertain whether what came after should be ‘stop’ or ‘more’. Conrad grunted against his skin, speeding his pace, his hips jerking frantically. 

Kane buried his face in the pillow to muffle his cries, thankful that at least his body no longer felt as if it was crushing itself. The fire receded, concentrating in his ass, different kinds of heat pooling in his belly and washing over his face. The boy buried himself in Kane, his jaw tightening on the back of his neck, sending hot fluid drizzling down his skin to drip onto the sheets in bright red droplets. The alpha swelled inside him, the pressure almost more than Kane could stand but driving away the last of the pain. 

_Knotted. I’m knotted. I have a knot in my ass. Get it out. Give me more. Make it stop. Don’t ever stop_. _I don’t want this. I need it. It hurts. It feels so fucking_ good _. What the hell is wrong with me?_

Conrad released the bite and moved his hips experimentally, groaning again as his knot pressed deeper into Kane and then moaning loudly as it tugged at his entrance. He pushed in again, the swollen base settling against something inside him that had his back arching and his ass tightening around the alpha as he spilled out onto the sheets in hot spurts. Conrad gasped, his hips beginning to move again, and Kane’s moan turned into a cry of pain as the knot pulled again and again. He tensed, trying to stop him from moving until he could adjust, but only succeeded in making the alpha drive harder into him. Conrad ignored his pained sounds, too lost in his own sensation and the hormones driving him.

“Stop,” Kane sobbed into the pillow. “Please stop. You’re hurting me.”

“I _can’t_ ,” Conrad groaned, hips still snapping. “Relax, omega. I don’t want to hurt you, but ohhh, fuck, you feel so _good_.”

What felt like hours but could have been only minutes later, the alpha finally buried himself deep again, swelling even further, locking himself firmly inside Kane’s body. Conrad’s chest heaved, his fingers loosening on his hips, and he collapsed onto his side, dragging Kane with him. Kane swallowed hard, rubbing his wet eyes with the heels of his hands. Over. It was over.

“I’m sorry, omega,” Conrad said sheepishly, running a hand awkwardly up his arm. “I couldn’t help it. I’ll do better next time now that I know what to expect.” 

Kane froze. It wasn’t over. He still had two more days to go.

* * *

Maya Brooks strolled up to Kane in the hallway outside his tiny cell of a dorm room, tossing her hair over her shoulder with an elegant sniff. “Harkin wants you in the Blue Room.” 

“Why?” he asked. “I don’t have a client.”

“You do now. Didn’t you hear? Jenkins is dead,” she informed him gleefully. “His alpha got a bit... _overzealous_. Kaidan was supposed to be taking Hock, but he was the one who found Richard and he’s currently crying his eyes out in the infirmary with Miranda. Normally, I would take care of him, but Donovan prefers boys, so I suggested you instead.” Her dark eyes glittered with malice as she purred, “Have fun. Kaidan says he’s _quite_ creative. Do try to avoid his temper, though. I’ve heard he’s a real bear when he’s cross.”

“Donovan Hock is always cross,” Kane said.

“I know!” she exclaimed brightly, clapping her hands together. “Sucks to be you... _Princess_. Have fun!” With that, she flounced away, leaving Kane scowling at her retreating back. 

Before his first heat, Maya had been the face of Chora’s Den. Her popularity had rivaled everyone in the Tenth Street district but Sha’ira down the road. Her clients brought her gifts, money, fancy clothing, and took her out on the town as their date rather than just fucking her at the center. Harkin did everything in his power to keep her happy after realizing how difficult she could make his life when she was displeased. Everyone pandered to her. 

Recently, however, Harkin had begun putting Kane’s face on the advertising materials next to Maya and a few of her clients had started asking for him. Maya wasn’t happy about sharing top billing even though her old clients didn’t pamper him the way they had her. She’d been making his life hell ever since. 

He was halfway down the hall that led to the Blue Room before the most important part of Maya’s message sank in. Richard was dead. An alpha had murdered him. Security mechs tottered up and down the next hallway over, but the building was otherwise as quiet as it normally was during business hours. Where was the chaos? The panic? Where were the police? Did no one care? He cautiously sniffed the air, but smelled no blood or other sign that someone had died a violent death nearby. Was Maya just fucking with him? That had to be it.

He turned away from the Blue Room and made his way through the maze of hallways to the infirmary. There, he found Kaidan seated on one of the beds with his head in his hands. Miranda stood over a long black bag with a person-shaped lump inside it. Harkin was beside her, his lip curled into a disgusted sneer. 

“What a damn waste,” Harkin grumbled. “I told Vosque he needed to be more careful. The clients want to indulge their kinks and shit, that’s fine, but I heard what he did to that little bitch of Aethyta’s. Kelly? The redhead one I liked. The one he—”

“I heard about it,” Miranda cut in. “It was terrible. I don’t understand why you would let him rent one of our people.”

Harkin shrugged. “He said it was an accident. He didn’t know she had a bleeding disorder.”

“And the one of Nassana’s?” Miranda asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Harkin snapped. “Doesn’t matter now. He’s blacklisted. No one’ll let him in the door after today. Do something with this, will you?”

“Yes, sir,” Miranda said with a shake of her head. “What a waste.” 

Harkin caught sight of Kane in the doorway and snarled, “What the hell are you doing here? I told Maya to send you to the Blue Room. Hock’s waiting. Get your ass in there!”

Kane backed away slowly, his eyes wide and his heart fluttering in his chest. His stomach churned. He hadn’t been close to Jenkins, had never fully forgiven the other boy for ratting him out to Harkin about his heat. But he’d known him for years and now he was dead. 

Kane had known for a long time that alphas could hurt them, but this was the first time he’d considered that the clients could kill them. And the only punishment the murderer appeared to be facing was being banned from the brothels. 

Feeling desire for his clients was nearly impossible on a good day. Today, he wanted nothing more than to return to his cell and curl up in a ball. He didn’t want a strange alpha with a temper touching him. 

What had this Vosque fellow done to Richard anyway? How had he done it? Images of himself under Conrad during that first heat flashed through his mind. His stomach flipped. Bile burned the back of his throat. His steps faltered outside the door to the Blue Room. The pictures his mind conjured left his palms clammy and his hands shaking. He fought for composure before going in. _I don’t care. I don’t feel anything. It can’t hurt if you don’t feel._

He entered the room to a red-faced man turning to face him with a deep scowl. “What is the meaning of this? I have been waiting for almost an hour! I am a busy man! And you are not Kaidan.”

“No, alpha,” Kane said demurely, hating the way his voice shook. “Kaidan is indisposed. I offered to pleasure you instead.” His stomach flipped again as the man looked him over. 

“I suppose you’ll do. Strip and bend over, boy. You’ll pay for keeping me waiting.”

“Yes, alpha,” he whispered. 


	4. Chapter 4

Jeff was waiting when Kane stumbled into his room. He flopped down onto the bed with a pained groan, the robe he wore splaying out around him. His friend’s touch was hesitant, surely remembering last time when Kane had lashed out without thinking and almost broken Jeff’s arm. He held himself still this time and allowed the other man to draw the hem of the robe up. He heard the sharp intake of breath and could picture Jeff shaking his head.

“You’ve got to stop fighting them, Ryder,” Jeff said, ripping open a packet of medigel. “This isn’t supposed to happen. It’s all in your head, man. Look. I know it’s shit. I know it sucks. But you’re just making it harder on yourself.” 

“I’m not fighting them and it still _hurts_ , Jeff,” he muttered into the pillow. The medigel was cool and soothing against his burning entrance, the other omega’s gloved fingers impersonal.

Jeff finished spreading the medigel on him and pulled the gloves off, tossing them in the waste bin. “It’s not supposed to. The first time, yeah. The kid lost control and did it wrong. That’s the danger of putting a virgin alpha with an omega in his first heat. Harkin never should’ve allowed that shit. You didn’t know how to manipulate him and by the time you started making requests, it was too late. But you’re an omega. You’re designed to take a knot. It shouldn’t hurt as long as they’re just holding it in there.”

“I let them do anything they want and it still hurts,” Kane grumbled.

“Then it’s in your head. You’re tensing or something. You may not want to be an omega. You may not want to be here. But you _are_ and there isn’t shit you can do about it. You’re just making it harder on yourself by resisting it.” 

A year ago today, he’d had his first heat. A whole year, he’d been taking alpha cocks up his ass on a daily basis, whether he was in heat or not. Conrad, at least, had tried to be kind about it. He hadn’t hurt him like that again after the first time, but the damage had been done. Kane had never been able to take a knot without pain. And yet still he took them, again and again and again. One day bled into the next, a constant miasma of pain and depression, until that was all he knew. 

He’d long since stopped reading fairy tales. Alphas didn’t give a shit about omegas. They only cared about getting their dicks wet and their knots buried. He was a hole to fill, a broodbitch who’d at least get to rest if he’d been allowed to breed. Instead, each heat brought a new alpha to torment him and both times, he’d gone through days of bleeding and cramping as the pills Harkin demanded he take forced him into miscarriage. 

Maybe that was a good thing, though. If taking a knot was painful, he didn’t want to imagine what childbirth would be like. Harkin would likely hide him here rather than sending him to a breeding center, and no way in hell would the alpha spend the money on an epidural he’d claim was unnecessary. He wouldn’t even pay to have a doctor examine him to figure out what was wrong, if the virgin alpha had broken him or if there had been something wrong with him from the beginning. 

As much as he wanted to blame the mating, he couldn’t entirely. He should have been driven half out of his mind with desire the moment he’d smelled an alpha in rut, not waiting for it to be over. There had to be something wrong with him, but damned if he knew what it was. 

It hadn’t gotten any better in the intervening year. He’d thought for awhile that perhaps he was just straight, but the rumors he’d heard about female alphas just made him think of hyenas and made him uncomfortable. He had yet to come across an alpha who could take him out of his head. He’d just learned to hide it better, to let no one in but Jeff.

They’d experimented together once, a few months before, and it had been enough to convince him that not only did he like males, other omegas were where it was at. He _liked_ sex. He even liked being penetrated. He just didn’t like the knot and the pheromones did little for him. The only beta he’d been with had wanted him for his mouth, so he didn’t know if his preference extended to them as well or not. 

He rolled onto his side, drawing his knees up to his chest, and finally looked at Jeff. “Is this really the rest of my life?”

“Don’t go getting all fatalistic on me now,” Jeff chided. 

“Too late,” he said, rolling to put his back to his friend. “There’s living and then there’s surviving. This isn’t living.”

“Then find a way to live.”

* * *

“Why are we here?” Liara, a female omega, asked no one in particular. Beside her, Liam shrugged. 

“I don’t know. Harkin wants to talk to us,” Sam answered. 

All of the omegas from the center were gathered in the day room. Whatever was going on, it was big enough to have caused Harkin to push back their morning appointments to make time for everyone to be at the meeting. The room swirled with the combined scents of them all, the subtler pheromones accompanying them a more blatant gauge of the mood of the room than even their voices. Stress, curiosity, a couple outright afraid, and Jeff, calm and soothing beside him, cracking jokes with the omega to his right. Kane lounged on a couch with his arm across the back, the picture of insolent boredom. 

Harkin walked in, holding his hands up for quiet. The room fell silent, the others shifting to face the alpha. Yet another difference between himself and the rest. He should have been just as eager to face and please the only alpha in the vicinity as they were, but there was no answering compulsion to the pheromones Harkin was releasing. Kane still thought he smelled sour and musty and found him no more appealing than any of the other alphas he’d scented over the past year.

“Starting today, your client loads will be doubling,” Harkin announced. “Alphas are no longer being accepted at breeding centers and as the number of omegas outside of them or places like this continues to fall, we’re expecting an influx. A lot of them will be in rut, so we’ll be starting a schedule of induced heats to accommodate. It’ll be based on your last heat, so the more recent it was, the later you’ll be in the rotation. Maya will be in charge of scheduling it. She’s put it up on the board.”

“Why aren’t they accepting them at breeding centers anymore?” Liara asked.

“They’re breeding us out,” Kane drawled, earning himself a glare from Harkin. 

“Doesn’t matter if they are or not,” the alpha said. “Won’t affect you and none of you are breeding stock, so it ain’t like you’re gonna have kids to worry about. For us, it’s business as usual, just more business than usual. Now, get back to work.”

Kane followed the others as they obediently filed out of the day room, keeping their questions to themselves. When they were alone, Jeff turned to him. “Why’d you say that?”

“Think about it,” he whispered, looking around to make sure they weren’t overheard. “Birth control’s illegal, but the government knows we’re using it. Otherwise, there’d be more of us going to breeding centers every year. Hell, we would _be_ a breeding center. Instead, we’re a legal place for alphas to mate without breeding more of us. If they can keep alphas and omegas from reproducing together, it means at best a fifty-fifty shot of betas versus us, and from there they can get rid of us. My papa—the man who sold me here, I mean—said something like that to Harkin a long time ago. I didn’t know what he meant then, but it makes sense now.”

“But why would they do that?” Jeff asked. “They need us.”

“Not anymore,” Kane said. “I caught a news report while I was cleaning Harkin’s office a few days ago. We’ve been breeding like krogan since the end of the war. There are more of us than there are of betas now, and they’re close to figuring out how to make betas more fertile. We’re freaks of nature to them. They’ve never been comfortable with us and they think we make humanity look less civilized to the aliens.”

“We’re half the population, Ryder,” Jeff said. “They can’t just wipe us out.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a government’s exterminated a significant portion of the population. Outside of breeding centers, what do alphas do for work?”

“Military,” Jeff answered. “Almost all of our clients are military.”

“Where they can be put at the front lines and no one questions it. Same for omegas outside whorehouses and breeding centers. Reduce our numbers that way and breed us out as much as possible, you got a world run by betas. And if alphas aren’t allowed in breeding centers anymore, then all that’s going to be coming out of them are betas and omegas.” 

“And the beta gene is dominant,” Joker said slowly. “So fewer omegas will be born, too.”

“Right. And when there are no more alphas, there’s no one to stop them from doin’ whatever they want to us.” He leaned closer, gesturing to the omega symbols tattooed on the delta of skin between their thumbs and forefingers. “We’re marked. We’re required to register. We’re segregated, limited in our jobs, governed by a separate set of laws. You and I read the same history books, right? How long before the Tenth Street Redlight District becomes the Tenth Street Ghetto and we’re surrounded by fences to house us like cattle? It’s happened before.”

“You’re overreacting, Ryder,” Jeff scoffed. “Need I remind you _again_ that we’re half the damn population?”

“We won’t be for long,” Kane said darkly. 

“You’re paranoid,” Jeff said, shaking his hand. “You’re just upset because you’re going to have to mate more alphas and you know you’re going to be up early in the heat rotation. Everybody’s upset about that. Induced heats are terrible, but that’s no reason to go all conspiracy theorist on me.”

“Wait till they stop taking omegas at the breeding centers. It’s gonna happen.”

“Say you’re right. What do you suggest we do?” Jeff asked. “We just run away and find some guns and start a revolution? You and me. The omega whore and his sidekick who can barely walk without breaking a bone? Yeah. That’ll go over real well.”

“I...don't know yet,” Kane admitted.

Jeff shook his head. “What would it even matter? Like he said, it doesn’t affect us. We aren’t reproducing. There’s no future generation for us to worry about. And it’s not like they’re killing us off. So what if a hundred years from now, there aren’t any more of us being born? We’ll be old men.” Jeff rested a hand on Kane’s shoulder, a sympathetic expression looking foreign on his face. “Let it go, Ryder. You’ve got more important things to think about. Two matings today and your name’s first up on the heat roster.” 


	5. Chapter 5

Screams tore from Kane’s throat, ripping him out of sleep. He bolted upright in bed, his chest heaving and sweat dripping from a strand of bleached-blonde hair that had fallen over his brow. He ran his hand through it, raking the damp mess back into its normal slicked-back position and fought to control his breathing. 

“Shut up, damn it!” Maya shouted, banging on the other side of his wall. “I’m trying to sleep!”

It had been like this for the past three weeks since Richard died. Every night, he went to sleep and sunk into a gallery of horrors. Sometimes, he watched Jenkins get ripped apart. Most of the time, though, he _was_ Jenkins. He’d panicked earlier that day and tried to prevent his first alpha from knotting him. He hadn’t been able to and it had just made it worse, but it had happened again with the second one. Fortunately, they hadn’t realized what he was doing. The second one had taken it as _eagerness_ for his knot. Kane shuddered. He never wanted to be knotted again.

It would happen, though. Tomorrow, he was due for his first induced heat. Fortunately, Kahoku had bought it. He liked Kahoku as well as he liked any alpha. The man was honorable, at least, and hadn’t hurt him yet. He was the only client Kane had walked away from without being worse than sore. If he had to have a heat, the old politician was the one to do it with. 

Kane threw back the blanket and got out of bed. He wandered into the day room, finding it empty, and turned on the vid screen. A talking head appeared, droning on about the new laws being bandied about Parliament. An alpha and omega pair argued with her and another beta over the proposed revisions that would take even more rights from alphas and omegas. 

It would no longer be compulsory for omegas to be educated. Alphas would no longer be allowed to join protests or gather in large groups. Omegas would not be allowed to enter into contracts without an alpha’s consent. Beta police would no longer patrol alpha/omega designated areas.

Vega plopped down onto the couch beside him with a heavy sigh. “You wouldn’t think there would be a way to argue _for_ these things, yeah, _Cubano_?” he said in Spanish. 

“I think betas could find a way to argue for giant fly swatters to squish us with,” Kane said in kind. 

“Nightmares again?” the burly omega asked.

“Yep,” Kane said tightly. 

Vega had the cell to the right of his. Unlike Maya, however, James didn’t shout at him when he woke up screaming. Instead, Vega passed him a steaming mug of tea. 

“Snuck it out of the kitchens,” he explained. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Thanks. Not really,” Kane answered, wrapping his hands around the warm cup. 

“It’s Jenkins, isn’t it?” Vega asked, ignoring him. “I been having them, too. It’d be nice if they’d give us some information, y’know? Instead of letting imaginations run wild. I keep picturing the guy with his hands around Richard’s neck or something. Creeps me the fuck out.”

Kane raised a brow at the other omega, but didn’t answer. From listening to the speculation about Jenkins and knowing what he did about the others’ experience, he’d come to suspect that they all applied their personal nightmares to the question marks around what had actually happened. He’d learned a lot about the others that way. Aside from Joker, he didn’t count anyone here as a friend, but knowing their fears could be useful, so he squirreled the information away. Now, if he could just get Maya to say what she thought had happened.

Kane took a sip of the tea and looked back up at the vid screen. The alpha was claiming that the next step would be to revoke citizenship and voting rights. The beta said he was being melodramatic. Kane had never been allowed to vote on anything and neither had any other omega he knew, so he didn’t think that would be a big step. 

“Why don’t they just send us to one of the colonies?” Vega asked. “Get us out of the way and leave us the hell alone.”

“That would cost money,” Kane guessed. “I don’t know. It’s a good question. Would you go if they did?”

“Hell, yeah,” James said. “Would you?”

“In a heartbeat,” Kane answered. 

Anything that got him away from here would be an improvement. There was nowhere for him in the outside world, though. Attempting to escape had crossed his mind, but where would he go? He supposed he could join the Alliance, but the military was implicit in trying to wipe them out. There was nowhere he knew of where they would be accepted and could go without the Alliance’s influence. He’d heard rumors of a place called the Citadel where all races of aliens lived and worked peacefully together, but thought that was a pipe dream. Different types of humans couldn’t get along with each other. What chance did they have with aliens?

* * *

“Just relax, baby. I’m gonna take care of you. You’re mine, omega. All mine. Gonna breed you like you need me to, and I’ll get you out of this place. Bond with you like a proper omega. Fuck, you smell so good.” 

Kane tried to tune out the alpha’s mindless words and ignore his rutting. This one, at least, wasn’t rough. He hadn’t given Kane any more of an option than any of the rest, but he wasn’t trying to make it hurt. He’d already knotted him four times today, though, and Kane’s ass was on fire. The heat was receding, though. The smell of rut wasn’t as strong. This would likely be the last time. He just had to stay calm and not fight it. 

The alpha grunted and Kane bit down on the pillow to muffle his cries of pain. Fortunately, the other man took the sounds as pleasure as he had every time before over the last three days. His knot swelled painfully, engorging beyond what Kane’s damaged pocket could stretch to accommodate. His hands fisted in the sheets as he screamed hoarsely and ejaculated from the pressure against his prostate. 

“There you go, omega. Mmph, so tight around my knot. Yeah, boy, squeeze it all out.” The alpha’s hand pressed against Kane’s belly. “Bet I’ve put a baby there. Little alpha just like his daddy.” Chapped lips grazed over the back of his neck and across his shoulder. The knot pressed against his burning walls as the man shifted his hips. “My little omega whore, taking me like a good little bitch. Gonna make you mine. All mine.” 

Kane winced at the teeth sinking into the back of his neck. He went limp, hating himself as he always did, but grateful for the additional relaxation that loosened him just enough to silence his screams. Now, all he had to do was wait out this last bit and then he could go back to Joker for some medigel. 

The alpha’s hand smoothed over Kane’s belly as he continued to murmur in his ear about taking him home and raising their baby together as mates. Logically, Kane knew the lie for what it was: rut hormones attempting to forge a bond to ensure the survival of the omega and his progeny. That bond couldn’t form, though, unless Kane bit him back and there had been no invitation to do so. Even if he did, the drugs Harkin kept them on prevented the hormones’ release. 

That didn’t stop the fantasies that sprung up any time an alpha was even remotely kind to him. Maybe this one was telling the truth. Maybe he’d help Kane find a way not to take the goddamn after-heat pill he hated so much and would stick around to make sure the pregnancy took. It would. It always did except for that one time that could have been an infertile alpha. And when he knew, the alpha—whose name Kane would need to learn—would take him away, take him _home_. 

They’d create a family, a real one, and the drugs would wear off and he and Kane would bond. He’d stop coming to brothels and Kane would never have to take a stranger’s knot again. He’d never have to suffer another heat with an alpha who just wanted to pound him through the mattress or _liked_ seeing his tears. Once they were bonded, his alpha would want to have kids with him. He could throw away the fucking pills. No more miscarriages. Childbirth might be painful, but with his alpha there to bite him, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. 

Maybe he’d even take him to a doctor, hating that he was in pain, and find out what was wrong with him, get him fixed so he could appreciate his alpha’s scent and feel what the others did when they got alone with them. And then he might enjoy fucking the way he did with Jeff, or the alpha female, Ash, who’d rented him the year before. 

Ash had made him hopeful, but then she’d said her beta partner couldn’t get her pregnant and they couldn’t afford artificial insemination, so he’d consented to her finding an omega for the heat. He’d never seen her again and didn’t know if it had taken or not. She’d been nice, though, and patient when she’d realized he’d had no idea how her parts worked. It wasn’t much different from a beta female, except that her knot was a ring of muscle on the inside that had held him in place. She’d been his only alpha female, though. Most of them wanted the bigger guys like Liam. His clients were almost exclusively male.

The current one circled his hips, groaning against Kane’s ear as Kane winced. The man’s declarations had slowed to a halt, but his hand remained against Kane’s belly. He could picture it growing, his alpha’s lips pressed against the distended skin, his eyes—brown, Kane thought, like his—gleaming up at him with pride. They’d den together and build a nursery for the baby. And no matter what it was, alpha or omega, Kane would want it and love it the way he knew his birth parents had. It would never set foot in a place like this.

The alpha sighed and slipped out, rolling over onto his back with an arm over his eyes. Kane rolled onto his side, giving in to the lingering compulsion to be near in case another wave of pain came. The alpha absently patted his shoulder, lifting his arm enough to glance down at the now-flaccid member lying heavily against his thigh. 

“Good boy,” he praised. Kane wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or his own dick.

The man sniffed the air and rolled off of the bed, disappearing into the adjacent bathroom. Kane heard the rush of the water and sat up, testing his legs. He ignored the familiar mess around him. There was staff to take care of the clean up. The water turned off again after a few minutes and the man came out, dragging a towel over his shaggy hair. His other hand was closed around something that made dread pool in Kane’s gut. 

“Harkin said to make sure you take this. Don’t need any little bastard omegas running around here, right?”

Kane swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “But...but you said—”

“I asked for an experienced omega. Jerry told me you were three years past your first heat. You should know better by now than to listen to rut-talk. You serve a purpose and I appreciate not having to go through the rut locked up in my room having blue balls for days, but it’s a service. I paid for you. And now my time’s up. So take the pill so I can check out and get back to my life.”

Kane had lost count of the number of people who’d seen him without clothing over the past three years. Being nude around other people didn’t faze him. Now, however, he found himself feeling not just nude but _naked_. He plucked his robe off of the door and tugged it on, belting it tightly around his waist, wishing that it actually covered anything. The man tapped his foot, so he reached out and took the pill from his hand, careful not to let his fingertips touch his skin.

His stomach roiled in objection to the bitter taste. Images of cumulative months spent expelling the product of these joinings flashed through his head. He thought he would have hated being trapped in a breeding center, being bred again every year to produce children for infertile betas to adopt, and having his ability to choose taken from him. But by the same token, he hated being forced to take this goddamn pill. 

He _wanted_ a child even though some would say he was little more than a child himself. He wanted a family. And he wanted it even if he had to do it without the benefit of an alpha. Damn it, this was _his_ body. He should get to make his own decisions about it. But he couldn’t. 

No alpha was ever going to pick him. No one was ever going to love him. He’d never have the stupid fairy tale, and it was ridiculous that he’d still be thinking about it at all after years as a whore. He’d kill the child that still lived on in him and enticed him into dreams of things that would never be.


	6. Chapter 6

“What’s wrong with you, Princess?” Harkin barked. “This is the fifth day in a row I’ve caught you pukin’ in the damn bathroom.” The alpha’s eyes narrowed on him. “You just had a heat last month, didn’t you? You little shit. You didn’t take your goddamn pill!” 

Strong fingers dug into his arm, dragging him back into the bathroom he’d just left. Harkin grabbed a stick from a bin near the sink and jerked Kane’s pants down. Kane clenched his bladder tightly, refusing to cooperate. It had been almost four weeks since his last heat. He was three days away from being able to demand to be taken to a breeding center and calling one to come get him if Harkin didn’t do it voluntarily. He’d already made contingency plans with Jeff in case his access to Harkin’s office got restricted and he couldn’t get to a phone or an omni-tool with connectivity. Three more days and then Harkin couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him. 

“Piss on the fucking stick, Princess, or I will get a needle and extract it from your goddamn bladder myself,” Hardin ordered with a growl, glaring at the slight curve that had just begun to appear in his belly. 

Kane’s bladder loosened against his will, urine streaming onto the pregnancy test Harkin held above the toilet bowl. Damn whatever twist of biological fate had decided that making an entire quarter of the population slaves to another quarter, and damn the twist that had left part of his instincts intact while neglecting to provide the parts that would have made his life easier. Bile rose in his throat as the alpha brought the stick up and the word PREGNANT flashed on its screen. Harkin knew. He knew and now it was too late. 

Without giving Kane so much as a moment to pull his pants up again, Harkin unceremoniously dragged him down the hall. Kane stumbled as he tried to keep himself upright and fight the alpha’s iron grip. Omegas came out of their rooms to see what the commotion was about, but quickly ducked back into them when they caught Harkin’s furious scent. Kane jerked his arm back, but Harkin was nonplussed and continued inexorably forward, all but throwing Kane into his office.

“Do not move, omega,” he snarled.

Kane glowered at him, arms wrapped protectively over his midsection as if he could do something to prevent what was coming. Harkin dug around in a drawer and came back with a tube of vile-looking chartreuse liquid. Kane’s throat slammed shut, his body tensing. He’d heard rumors of the shit Harkin kept on hand for incidents like this. Sid’s pill had failed once and she’d been forced to take the stuff. She said it made the pill’s effects feel like a twinge and that she couldn’t imagine actual labor being any worse.

“You can’t make me take that,” Kane said through gritted teeth. “I’m four weeks. You have to take me to the breedin’ center.”

“You’re a few days shy of that,” Harkin said. “Lucky for you, I figured it out when I did. Ain’t that so, Princess? Wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty little body of yours, would we? Drink this.”

“No.”

“I said, drink it,” he ordered.

Kane cringed, locking his jaw, fighting the _need_ to obey. It wasn’t just himself he was fighting for. No way in hell was he going to roll over and let Harkin kill his baby. “No.”

Harkin shoved his thumb between Kane’s lips, aiming for the spot behind his teeth to force his mouth open. Kane turned his head slightly and bit down as hard as he could, tasting the sharp tang of blood on his tongue. Harkin pulled his hand away but brought it down again in a punch that snapped Kane’s head sideways and made his ears ring. 

“Drink it.” 

“Fuck you,” Kane said, squaring his shoulders and giving him his best dead-eyed stare. 

“Drink it or I’ll have you spayed, you faithless bitch,” Harkin snarled. “A whore doesn’t need a goddamn uterus anyway. Keep your ovaries up in there and you’ll still go into heat.”

“Try it,” Kane challenged. “By the time you find a doc willing to do a hysterectomy on a pregnant omega without turning you in, I’ll be able to go to the breeding center.”

“Then I’ll rip your teeth out and force it between your empty gums.”

“You won’t do that, either,” Kane said. “You wouldn’t ruin my pretty face like that.”

Harkin drew his foot back and landed a vicious kick above his pubic bone. Kane cried out and curled in on himself, wrapping his arms tighter around his middle and drawing his legs up to shield it. Harkin stepped behind him and started kicking his lower back, his ass, his kidneys. 

“Fun fact: an omega male’s uterus sits further back in the body than a female’s. Sufficient trauma to the surrounding area can induce pre-term labor. And I guaran-fucking-tee I can deliver sufficient fucking trauma.” 

His words were interspersed with furious kicks. The sour scent of alcohol and musk and rage billowed out around him, making Kane gag. He whimpered, curling tighter until Harkin bent down and grabbed him by the industrial piercing in his cartilage that the alpha had insisted he get. Kane howled, involuntarily rising to his knees. Harkin poured the liquid into his open mouth, and when he would have spat it out, clamped a hand over his mouth and and nose, chafing the other over his throat to force him to swallow. Tears glittered on Harkin’s hand when he finally released him.

“You son of a cunt,” Kane snarled, opening his mouth to shove his fingers down his throat. 

Harkin caught his wrists and yanked them behind his back, zipping a set of soft handcuffs around them. Kane worked his throat, trying to trigger a gag reflex he’d lost years ago. He tried to pull away from Harkin, thinking that if he could hit the right part of his belly, he could force himself to be sick without hurting the baby, but Harkin latched onto his piercing again and snarled. 

Two hours later, all of the fight drained out of him, Kane curled up on himself again, this time in the bathroom where the liquid was beginning to take effect. Jeff crouched in front of him, dabbing his forehead with a cool, wet cloth. Kane bit back an anguished cry as a contraction ripped through him and gripped his own thigh hard enough to leave bruises. For once, Joker didn’t have a snarky remark to make. He simply gently swiped the cloth over Kane’s wet cheeks and frowned. 

“Three days,” Kane said shakily. “Three fuckin’ days.”

“I know,” Jeff whispered. “I know.”

Kane leaned his forward and rested his forehead on the other man’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be here.”

“I’ve been rubbing medigel on your ass for almost four years. You think this is gonna scare me off?” Jeff said. “Nah. Don’t worry about it.”

“Why do you do it?” he asked. “It’s not like we’re together or anything.”

“Because you’re my friend, Ryder,” Jeff huffed. “Besides, you fuck me through my heats without breaking my pelvis. I think we’re even.”

“Just between bros,” Kane said with a weak smile.

“Just between bros,” Joker parroted.

Another cramp hit him and Kane ground his teeth together. It had been stupid to think he could actually do this. He’d tried to kill the idealistic streak he held secret, but given that he’d genuinely believed his escape plan would work and that he’d be able to find a way to get free and raise this baby on his own with no skills on his feet and without a credit to his name, with nothing more than a basic education he couldn’t even be certain was up to par, and knowing absolutely no one outside this place was the height of stupidity and naïveté. 

When it was finally over, he limped back to his room, walking in what he figured was a fairly accurate depiction of Joker’s hitching gait. Maya sneered down her nose at the sight of him. 

“I suppose you’ve learned your lesson, then.”

“Go to hell,” he grumbled, clutching his empty belly.

“Oh, sweetheart. Haven’t you noticed? We’re already there.”

And wasn’t that the truest thing he’d ever heard? He limped into his bedroom, but before he collapsed onto the bed, he wrestled it away from the wall, revealing a series of neat scratches in the faded white cinderblock. A screwdriver he’d stolen from the supply closet was taped under his nightstand. He retrieved it and carefully added another line, loathing the burning in his throat and the ache in his belly. 

_Seven_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Kane's views on abortion are not necessarily reflective of my own.


	7. Chapter 7

The com hadn’t dinged all day. Kane was still recovering from his ordeal and couldn’t take an alpha. He was still expected to work, so he was manning the front desk. It was a quiet mid-morning at the height of the workweek, their slowest time. Omegas and beta staff moved casually through the back rooms and chatted in the kitchens. Harkin never came in on Tuesday mornings, and Miranda ran a slightly more relaxed ship. Maya would be sleeping. Vega, Joker, and Kaidan were playing cards in the day room. Vetra and Sid were plotting to get one of their clients to smuggle in popcorn. Kane was alone in the front room. The next client wasn’t due for half an hour and no one was calling to schedule an appointment. 

His eyes went to the closed front door. It would be easy to just get up and walk out. No one would notice. Even the security mechs were in the back. If someone noticed the empty desk, they would think he’d gone to the restroom or stepped away for a moment. By the time they realized he was gone, he could be halfway across town. 

He hadn’t left the brothel since he’d arrived except to go along the fenced alleys that connected the brothels, but he remembered it from when Harkin had brought him here. He’d lived outside the city before and it had only taken ten or so minutes by skycar. He hadn’t been in another one since then, so he wasn’t sure how fast they went, but half an hour on foot was surely more than enough.

He rose from his chair and meandered to the front door, looking over his shoulder to ensure that no one was in a position to see him. His hand was on the handle of the frosted glass door when he realized that it would chime when it opened. He glanced over his shoulder again and then stood on tiptoe and ripped out the wire that connected the sensor from the chime. It chirped a protest and he darted back to his chair, propping his chin on his hand and adopting his best bored expression. 

When no one came to investigate, he gathered his courage again and began to cross the room. The scrape of a shoe behind him made him change course. He plucked at a dying leaf on one of the tall, green plants near the door and tutted at it before going to the water cooler in the corner and filling the watering can. Samantha flashed him a smile as she typed something into the terminal at the desk and left. 

Kane took a shaky breath. He looked over his shoulder again and put the can down beside the plant. He was alone again. Two steps took him to the door. He reached out, paused with his hand on it. Was he really going to do this? 

He pulled the door open an inch. Two. Wide enough to slip through. Another glance. The hall was empty. He slid out the door, easing it closed again. His heartbeat thudded in his chest, rushed in his ears. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. 

Kane turned his back on the center and ran.

His thin shoes slapped loudly on the deserted sidewalk. Skycars zoomed overhead. His breath puffed white clouds in the cold morning air. His lungs and legs burned as he forced his way up the steep hill at the end of the street. He hadn’t run on anything but a treadmill since he was six. He focused on the cracked sidewalk, on putting one foot in front of the other. 

Twenty minutes. He had twenty minutes until Mikhailovich showed up and they would surely begin searching for him. It wasn’t as much as he’d hoped, but he should be able to get deep within the city by then. He could get lost in the crowds and maybe find a place to hide until tonight. He could move again when it was dark and fewer people were out. He’d go...somewhere. It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that he get away.

His steps faded to a halt when he reached the top of the hill. Spread out in front of him was not the sleepy town he’d remembered but a bustling metropolis. Buildings rose up in groups to graze metal spines against the sky. Skycars zoomed between them in thick, roping blurs. A gray haze hung over the air. As far as he could see were signs of humanity. Behind him, Tenth Street looked small and rundown in comparison. No one followed him. 

He plunged forward, his head down and his shoulders hunched against the cold wind that blew over his bare arms. The threadbare shirt that covered him did little to block out the chill, but he was good at ignoring discomfort. People began populating the sidewalks and thoroughfares. They cast curious looks at him as he ran by. The internal timer that he’d developed to judge the length of appointments told him that he was running out of time and he hadn’t even reached the city center yet. He sped up his pace. And ran right into the thick chest of a burly alpha.

“Hey! Easy there, turbo,” the man growled, placing his hands on Kane’s shoulders and pushing him away. Green eyes narrowed on him. “I know you. You’re one of the bitches down at Chora’s. Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

The man’s grip tightened and Kane trembled, tipping his head back and baring his throat. “Miranda sent me on an errand,” he said.

“Oh, really? Where to?”

“Um. Coffee. The coffee store. We’re out of coffee.” 

“Uh- _huh_. You passed two supermarkets between here and there. You telling me they didn’t have no coffee?” the alpha asked.

“She drinks a special kind,” Kane stuttered. “It’s only at one store.”

“Don’t you lie to me, boy,” the alpha snarled. “How about I just call down to Chora’s. I bet I get me a few free sessions with you if I bring back their poster boy omega.”

“Wait!” Kane said as the man activated his ‘tool. “What if...what if you don’t and you just...keep me? I’ll stay with you and then you don’t have to pay. I’ll pleasure you whenever you want. Don’t send me back. Please, Alpha.”

The alpha laughed and shook his head, his fingers still moving over the glowing orange tool. “No way in hell. You pampered mating center omegas are more trouble than you’re worth. Besides, I’m deployed all the damn time anyway or I’d be bonded by now. To an omega who can _read_.” 

“I can read!” Kane exclaimed. “I‘m not stupid. And I can take care of your house when you’re gone. I can make sure everything’s ready for you when you get back. I could—”

“Could you shut up?” The alpha’s screen popped up. Miranda’s voice chirped the brothel’s greeting. Kane tried to twist away, but the alpha tightened his grip on his shoulder. “You seem to be missing an employee, Ms. Lawson.”

Kane’s heart sank. 

* * *

“You’re an idiot.”

“Will you help me or not, Jeff?” Kane hissed. 

“You know I can’t. I literally _can’t_. Harkin _ordered_ me to keep you from trying to escape,” Joker said apologetically. 

“Did he order you not to go into the kitchens and get food?” Kane asked. 

He’d realized while he was getting dragged back to the center by an irate Miranda that he’d neglected to plan for feeding himself. Outside, food was kept in stores and those stores wanted credits he didn’t have. 

“No,” the other omega said. 

“And did he order you to follow me to the bathrooms?”

“No.”

“Alright. Then I’m hungry. Will you go to the kitchen and get a snack? And when you get back, I need to go to the bathroom.” 

“You’re an idiot,” Joker repeated. “This isn’t going to work. He’s locked all of the doors down.”

“Not the one to the roof,” Kane pointed out. 

Joker shot him a skeptical look. “And you’re just going to shimmy down the side of the building like a monkey.”

“Something like that. If I was going to the roof. But I’m not. I’m going to the bathroom. Put the food by the roof access, will you?”

Joker shook his head and rolled clumsily out of Kane’s bed. They’d been bunking together since his failed escape attempt. Miranda hadn’t told Harkin how far he’d gotten. She just said she found him at the door and thought he was going to run. When Harkin had asked about the rat alpha’s free hour with him, Miranda had claimed that he’d complained about Maya. Harkin hadn’t entirely believed her, but he hadn’t come after Kane with more than shouting and a lazy slap to the back of his head.

Kane hadn’t been prepared last time. He hadn’t known what he was going to face. This time, though, he was ready. When he’d gone into Harkin’s office to clean, he’d gotten on the extranet on his terminal and found the nearest Alliance recruiter. Runaway omegas could get amnesty and relative freedom by joining the military. At least he wouldn’t get fucked up the ass there. 

If something happened and he had to run the other way, there was a breeding center that was taking in omegas. He’d be another kind of slave, but those omegas were pampered and only bred once per year. They didn’t have to fuck except to reproduce. They were taken care of during the pregnancy, then given time off after the birth to recover. Once they had, they did light work at the facility while waiting for their next heat. Kane could tolerate that until he found a better way out if he had to.

He’d tried to find a credit chit with money on it so that he could buy a ticket offworld. He’d heard that there was a space station where all sorts of aliens lived together in harmony. He’d never believed it before, but an extranet search had assured him that the Citadel was a real place. Failing that, there was always a planet called Illium or another space station called Omega. Those weren’t as good as the Citadel, but they weren’t controlled by betas. Unfortunately, Harkin kept all of the credit chits in a safe that Kane hadn’t been able to crack. A search of Miranda’s office had revealed the same thing.

He slipped out of the bedroom and crept down the hallway to the corridor with the ladder to the roof. A tied-off pillowcase waited at the foot of it, heavy with supplies. He whispered thanks to Joker in case the other omega was close enough to hear and tossed it over his shoulder. Climbing the ladder one-handed was difficult, but doable. When he reached the roof, though, he tied the makeshift bag to his belt. 

The building that housed Chora’s Den was large and sprawling, but squat. He didn’t have to do much shimmying. He carefully lowered himself over the wall in the back by the alley and hung from his fingertips for a moment before dropping onto the sparse gravel. His foot slipped and he went down on a knee, but was uninjured. After a moment to ensure that no one had heard him, he flattened himself against the darkened back wall and edged his way down the alley.

He would try for the recruiter’s office first. Six years’ service in the Alliance would buy his freedom. He’d already done four in the brothel. Six in the military would be nothing. The breeding center would keep him until he was no longer fertile. That could be another six _decades_ if the betas didn’t run them out first. It would be better than Harkin keeping him until he was no longer young and attractive and then selling him, but still not ideal. 

“Go home, Kane.” Shi’ara’s soft voice drifted through an open window. Kane froze. She continued gently. “I see you, child. Go back. Jerry has ensured that everyone on the street is watching for you. If you pass this building, I will be forced to call the police and report your escape.”

“Just let me go,” he whispered. 

“Aethyta ordered us to stop you if we saw you,” she said. 

Her pale face appeared in the window. He’d always found her odd-looking. Her flesh was beyond alabaster, the skin carrying an almost blue tint from her veins. She dyed her hair in shades of blue and turquoise and pink like a mermaid’s tail. It did little to take away from the impression. 

“So pretend you didn’t see me. I’m just takin’ a walk,” he said.

“Yes, many people go for walks just before dawn, dressed only in thin clothing when it is freezing outside,” she said, tucking a green strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you think I enjoy living here?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I never thought of it.”

“I don’t. No one enjoys being owned, Kane. But I _have_ learned to make it tolerable.” She folded her arms demurely on the windowsill. “I have a gift. I can make other people happy. I can create an illusion for them and bring a few moments’ peace.”

“I don’t care about them. Why should I? They don’t care about me,” he said. 

“Find something to care about, then.”

“I’m tryin’ to _stop_ caring, not care _more_. Caring about anything’s only ever brought me pain,” he said. 

“No one can care about nothing, Kane,” she said. 

“Watch me,” he answered with a scowl. Damn his luck. She seemed nice, but there was a thread of steel in her voice. She’d report him. He would get no further tonight. He cursed and spun on his heel, stalking back down the alley to Chora’s. Now he had to figure out how to get back _in_.


	8. Chapter 8

Kane prowled down the hall with the security mech Harkin had programmed to follow him after his third escape attempt trudging behind him. Its awkward, clanging steps annoyed him. The scent of cleaning agents in the dry air annoyed him. The flicker of the overhead lights annoyed him. The cloying taste of the nutrigel that was all he’d been given for breakfast annoyed him. 

Maya’s laugh when she saw him annoyed him most of all. She’d been a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but since she’d caught him coming back in after his second escape attempt and reported him to Harkin, she’d become intolerable. He could still hear her snarky, _You’re too stupid to even escape properly. What choice did I have?_

“Well, isn’t that a nice little pet, _Princess_?” she sneered. “Have you named it yet? I know! You should call it Mr. Biscuits. It’s cute and silly. Like you. Thinking you can get away.”

Kane gritted his teeth together. “I’d think you’d want me to leave,” he said. “What, exactly, is your problem?”

She flashed him a smile dripping saccharine venom. “As much as I hate you being here, the thing I would hate even more is if you managed to break free when I’m trapped in this place. _That_ would be intolerable. As long as I’m stuck here, so are you.”

Kane gave her a dismissive once-over and snorted lightly. “Yeah, well. Conrad Verner called in. I sang your praises to him and he asked to give you a try.”

“Who?” she asked.

Kane grinned. “You must not have met him yet. He typically goes for males. He’s an ass man.” Kane took a few steps past her before turning around with a finger raised as if he’d just remembered something. “You _do_ have a pocket back there, don’t you? I assured him you did.”

“No! I don’t!” she exclaimed, her face paling. 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll understand when you tell him you can’t accommodate him,” Kane said insincerely. “Have fun!”

“Go to hell,” she snapped.

“Oh, sweetheart. Haven’t you noticed? We’re already there.” He chuckled shortly and strode away. The mech clanked behind him, but he was no longer annoyed by it.

His second appointment of the day wasn’t quite a regular, but he’d seen him often enough that the alpha had let slip that he was an infiltrator in the Alliance. Kane had been waiting for him to return for two months. The guy had shown him his tactical cloak the last time he’d come, and it had given Kane an idea. He’d been practicing his trick while he waited, and he was almost certain he could pull it off. 

The alpha wasn’t in the Cherry Room when he arrived, so he perched on the bed to wait. The mech remained outside the room in order to avoid making the client uncomfortable. Rather than change into the white robe in the armoire, he remained in his jeans and t-shirt. He would need real clothes, not something that left the curve of his ass and his junk hanging out the bottom and barely closed over his chest. The alpha would have a skycar, so he wouldn’t need to run, but he would need shoes when they arrived where they were going. 

The door slid open and the faintly smoky scent of the alpha accompanied the slim, dark-haired man into the room. He always moved smoothly, quietly, like a panther. Kane stifled a flutter of nerves and rose to greet him, going onto his tiptoes to kiss him and turning so that the alpha wasn’t between him and the door. 

“You’re overdressed, omega,” the man said. “Why don’t you strip down and we’ll get in the bed?”

“No.” Kane took a deep breath and tensed all of his muscles at once, concentrating the way he’d read on the extranet. The alpha stared at him. After a moment, a blue corona surrounded Kane, glowing unevenly around him. He said firmly, “I’m not going to bed with you. You’re going to activate your tactical cloak and get us out of here or I’ll tear you apart _with my mind_.”

The alpha snorted and then threw his head back and laughed, his shoulders shaking and his eyes watering. Kane gaped at him. People were supposed to be _scared_ by biotics, not think it was _funny_. 

The alpha gasped for breath, wiping the backs of his eyes and said in a voice strained with amusement, “Ohhhh my…. I should tell Harkin. You could charge double for being biotic. Get a little extra umph with the _umph_ , know what I'm saying?”

“I’m not kidding!” he insisted. “Open your omni-tool and do as I say.”

The alpha took two quick steps toward him and pinned him against the wall with a forearm against his throat. His voice was low and dangerous. “First, there’s no way in hell that Harkin’s allowed you an amp, so you can’t do shit with that but look pretty. Second, he warned me you’re a flight risk and said to let him know if you try anything. So, if you don’t want him coming down on you like an elcor falling down a stairwell, you’re going to do exactly what I say for the next hour. Now, get on your knees, bitch.”

Kane sank to the floor in defeat and unfastened the alpha’s belt. There was no escape. Harkin had outmaneuvered him at every turn. He was trapped. The alpha’s icy stare brought his path forward into crystalline clarity. If he wanted to survive here, he would have to become as cold and hard as the people around him.

* * *

“As the number of alphas continues to shrink planetside due to violence, police action, and military engagements in the Terminus Systems, omega fights have broken out in bars and clubs across the continent. Many of the alphas who remain are either already bonded or have chosen to get their needs met at mating centers rather than attempting relationships with individual omegas when the future is so uncertain. The mating centers in the Tenth Street Redlight District report a twenty percent uptick in clientele in the past six months. They attribute it to—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vega groused, clicking the vid screen to a different channel. “We’re getting busier. We know. Don’t need you reminding us, al-Jilani.”

“Speaking of which,” Kane said, getting to his feet, “I’m on coms for Maya again today. I should get to it.” 

Vega chuckled. “Yeah. I’m sure you’re devastated she’s down for the week.” 

Kane splayed a hand over his heart and said with false sincerity, “You wound me, _Jaime_. I wouldn’t wish that stomach bug on my worst enemy. I even told Harkin I’ll take her clients who can’t wait to reschedule. I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. After all, she did send Kai Leng to me last month for my heat.”

“She _is_ your worst enemy,” Joker said. “And why are you suddenly going after her client load? You hate every bit of business you already get.” 

“ _They_ don’t know that,” Kane said with a wink and sauntered out of the day room.

Kai Leng was one of Maya’s regulars. Kane would feel sorry for her for that if they’d been friends and if she hadn’t done what she did. Leng was the only sadistic beta he’d ever met. The man had wanted to experience a heat. Female omegas were more physically accommodating than their male counterparts, so they didn’t need a pocket for an alpha’s knot. Therefore, their heats were able to be sated by any form of penetration, whether by an alpha male or not. Maya would have been the obvious choice for Leng. 

Instead, she booked him for Kane. 

Kane had been fucking Joker through heats for years so that his friend didn’t have to suffer or risk himself with alphas who could end up breaking his pelvis or his back if they got overzealous. No one wanted a repeat of Jenkins. Miranda had caught them once and provided him with a sleeve that would inflate and simulate a knot. It wasn’t perfect, but Kane could lie on his back and let Joker do his thing and it didn’t cost Kane anything to do it. 

It was not like that with Kai Leng. Leng had no toys. He had no intention of giving Kane a knot or a simulation of one, and every time the beta forced him to ejaculation, Kane’s pocket spasmed tighter and longer. Leng liked the sensation, so he did it again and again. Kane had thought that he hated being forced into taking a knot during heat. Not getting one was worse The rest of what Leng had done to him had been, sadly enough, par for the course with some alphas, but that was one form of torture he’d never anticipated. 

Payback for sending Conrad to her, which had been payback for her reporting him, and on and on it went. This time, though, he was going to get her where it hurt. Her getting the stomach flu when she did had been a stroke of luck for Kane. She scheduled her favorite clients on the first week of the month. Something about pay schedules and better gifts. He didn’t know about that, but he did know that he’d been tasked with taking over her appointments for the week. It would mean three or four alphas in a day and he was going to be in serious pain by the end of the week, but he was certain he could poach at least a couple of the better ones from her. There were a couple that might fit into his plan.

There was no escape from this place. He’d learned that the hard way. If he couldn’t leave, then he would just have to make staying tenable. That meant getting rid of Harkin. Consorts like Sha’ira, Maya, and Reyes could rake in gifts and credits beyond what alphas paid to Harkin for their time. Kane had never been one of them. He didn’t seduce the alphas. He tolerated them, and a part of them knew it. 

Somehow, though, he still ended up being one of the more popular of Harkin’s people. If he put his mind to it, he could do what they did. More popularity meant more clients, but he could take anything if there was a goal in sight. With enough money and influence behind him, Kane could overthrow Harkin. Kane would never be allowed to run the brothel, but Harkin wasn’t popular. There were other alphas who would love to get their paws on the place. Chora’s Den was one of the busier brothels on Tenth Street. 

Harkin’s concern around bonding to one of them if he used them often enough meant that while Kane and the other omegas couldn’t bond to their alpha clients, the alphas could bond to them. Kane needed to find a wealthy patron, one that he could control through sex and creativity, and manipulate him into bonding. Convince the alpha that he and Kane could never be together with Harkin in the picture, and it shouldn’t be difficult to talk him into buying Harkin out, especially if Kane could raise the money for it. He still needed to figure out how much a brothel was worth. That information would probably be in Harkin’s office. 

He continued to put together the details of his plan as he made his way to the front for his shift. The front wasn’t a bad place to be. It gave him a broad overview of several of their clients and let people get a look at him, too. His regulars weren’t viable candidates. He would need new clients. The front desk was a good place to find them. Maya’s client list was a better one. 

His first call was to Commissioner Pallin, Maya’s favorite. The alpha answered promptly enough to have been within reach of his com. Kane introduced himself. 

“I’m afraid that Maya won’t be available for your noon appointment with her, Commissioner.”

“Why not?” he demanded. “I’ve been seeing her the first Tuesday of the month for the last three years. She didn’t give my slot to someone else, did she?”

“No, sir,” Kane said. “I’m afraid she’s...indisposed.”

“‘Indisposed’ how? If she’s cancelling on me, I think I deserve to know why,” Pallin said with a huff. Kane shook his head at the idea of possessive alphas in a whorehouse.

“I’m afraid Harkin wouldn’t like it much if I discussed it. Especially with you. It’s...embarrassing for us and he appreciates your esteem,” Kane said in a conspiratorial whisper. He continued normally, “However, I could offer my services this week if you’d like to keep your normal appointment time.” 

“You do that,” Pallin said, “but I want to know what she did. Call it pillow talk.”

“Yes, alpha,” he said with a grin. 

He passed Maya in the hallway a few hours later. Her face was pale and wan, and her arms were banded across her middle. Her dark hair hung in oily strings over her forehead and cheeks. 

She glared blearily at him. “What the hell do you want, Ryder?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I just wanted to let you know that you don’t need to worry about your clients. I’ll be taking care of them.”

“Stay away from my clients,” she ground out through gritted teeth.

“That wasn’t what you said when you so generously gifted Leng to me,” he said sweetly. “I’m just returning the favor. It’s alright. I’m _sure_ they’ll come back to you after I’m through with them.” 

“Kane Ryder, I am going to—”

Kane leaned down so that their noses were touching and said in a low voice, “You’re going to leave me the hell alone from now on, or I’m going to let the Commissioner in on the secret that you were out of work for a week because you were recovering from a red sand overdose, and that Harkin is ashamed to admit that one of his people managed to smuggle in an illicit substance. How long do you think the police commissioner will keep coming to visit you then?”

“You little—”

“Leave. Me. Alone. Maya. I won’t warn you again.” 

She didn’t say anything more as he straightened and continued to his room. He sank down on the bed with a sigh of relief. As long as Pallin liked him, the snake had been defanged. He wouldn’t let his guard down where she was concerned, but she would think twice before hurting him again. 


	9. Chapter 9

“I hate this. I truly do.” 

Kane’s current alpha, George Kahoku, had become one of his regulars, a refined older gentleman whom he’d initially recognized from some of the news reports he’d seen in Harkin’s office. He was the highest-ranking and last alpha left in global politics and an outspoken advocate for alpha and omega rights. For that reason alone, Kane didn’t fight his knot and now they lay tied together until it receded. 

“Hate what, sir?” he asked.

“I hate that I’m reduced to frequenting a place such as this and forcing myself onto a boy such as yourself. I hate that you are forced to be in an establishment of this nature, especially at such a young age,” he said.

“I’m not that young,” Kane told him. “I’ll be twenty-one in August.”

Kahoku scoffed. “Say that again when you’re a bit older, Kane. I’m ninety-seven. You are most certainly still young.”

George was the only client he had who called him by his name. Kane was sure it was a politician’s trick to make people feel at ease with him, but it was still nice. It made him feel more like a human and less like a receptacle. He was also the only one who actually used his hands to pleasure Kane in the act and who attempted to bring him close to release before knotting. It made the act closer to sex than getting fucked and Kane appreciated him for it. 

Kane suspected George was a bit enamored with him. A few years before, he might have entertained thoughts about the politician, but now he was simply grateful to have a regular who treated him with a modicum of respect and Kane was determined to keep him on his roster. He’d considered using Kahoku for his plan, but the alpha couldn’t risk his career by buying a brothel even though people surely knew he frequented one.

“You don't force yourself on me, either,” Kane said. 

George scoffed. “As I just pointed out, I wasn’t born yesterday. You will never convince me that a boy as lovely as yourself would choose of his own volition to be with an old man like me. You don’t have to try to fool me into feeling better about myself. Were I younger and if I didn’t have a reputation to uphold, I would sweep you away from this place and you’d never have to look back. But maybe, if I play my cards right, I might be able to do something like that for you anyway.”

Kane turned his head to look over his shoulder. “What d’you mean, sir?”

George looked around the room and said, “No one’s watching or listening, are they?”

“No, sir. Surveillance isn't’ allowed and Harkin’s all about client privacy.” Unless he wanted to blackmail him, but he could do that with only the records of him being here.

“This goes no further than you and me, you understand?” George whispered. Kane nodded. The politician’s hand traced up and down Kane’s sternum as he said, “I’m old and I’m the last thing standing between us and the betas taking full control. We’re done for, Kane. But what if there was somewhere else we could go? Somewhere we’d have an equal standing with the other galactic races? If I can get us there, there’d be no need for brothels or worrying about what’s going to happen to us. I have got the balls in motion. I simply need to make sure the momentum doesn’t stop.”

“Huh,” Kane said. “That, uh. That sounds...hopeful.”

George’s hand left his chest to trail over Kane’s mussed, bleached-blonde hair. “I will get you out of here someday, Kane. Come hell or high water, I’ll see these places shut down and a new life made for alphas and omegas. A real one.”

Kane was debating the alpha’s certainty as he returned to his cell, when he saw Maya walking toward him with her nose buried in a book. He’d never seen Maya read a book before. He knew she was capable of it. They were all literate. But she’d never shown any interest in it and especially not the depth she demonstrated now. Anxiety curled in his belly, and he quickened his step. 

“‘One of the most troublesome things in life is that what you do or do not want has very little to do with what does or does not happen,’” she read aloud, coming to a stop and looking up at him. “I’ve often found that to be true. Haven’t you, Kane?”

Kane froze for a heartbeat and then leaped at her, snatching at the book in her hand. “That’s mine!”

She hopped back, tucking it behind her back with a malicious smile. “Mmhm. Just like Commissioner Pallin was mine. You want your book back. I want my client back. Unfortunately, as Mr. Snicket says here, what we _want_ has very little to do with what will or will not _happen_.” She placed a hand on either side of the book’s spine.

“Maya,” he said, attempting to appeal to whatever humanity was left. “That’s all I have left of my family. Give it back, and I’ll convince Pallin to go back to you.”

“He won’t!” she insisted. “ _You_ told him I’d overdosed on red sand! You told the _police commissioner_ that I was in _hospital_ for a _drug overdose_!” Her hands tightened on every bitter word, the aging spine of the ancient book tearing with a brittle, wispy sigh. “He _won’t_ come _back_.”

“I’ll tell him I lied!” he shouted, trying again to grab the book from her hands. 

She tore the two pieces apart with a sneerl and began calmly ripping at individual pages, her cold dark eyes locked on his. “He was going to _buy_ me, you miserable twat. I had plans. You’ve ruined them.” She dropped the remains of the book at his feet. “I will destroy you, Ryder. Make no mistake about that.”

Kane gritted his teeth until she was gone, then dropped to his knees and began trying to collect up the pieces of tattered paper. He’d thought he could tape it back together, but the pages were old and her nails had shredded enough of it like confetti that there was no repairing it. He’d only had the one book out of many in the series, but it had gotten him through many of the unfortunate events his life had been a series of. He picked up each scrap of yellowed paper and carried it in his shirt to his cell and laid it on his bed. How could he hope to beat Harkin at his own game when he couldn’t even beat Maya? 

* * *

Half a dozen omegas Kane had never seen before streamed into the day room. Kaidan turned his head to watch them, his amber eyes narrowing on what could only be more competition. The biotic’s fingers went to the silver that had begun to form on his temples. His breeding years, and therefore his heats, were numbered. A new omega—possibly even the swarthy, blue-eyed male in the back of the pack—would replace him and he would go...wherever omegas went when they were no longer useful to their owners.

These omegas were easily identified through their hips, the slight soft pooch of their bellies, the pampered fullness of their cheeks, as breeders. The betas had finally discovered a way to enhance beta fertility, and breeding centers had kicked all of the omegas out. Unbonded omegas’ options now were mating centers or military. All of the mating centers in the Redlight District were being overrun with omegas begging for work and a place to live. 

The brothels now had their pick of omegas, and the slaves were getting worried. There was a time when more omegas would have simply meant more business for the brothel. Now, however, there was a shortage of alphas planetside, so it meant fewer appointments for each individual omega within the brothel and more drain on the resources of the whole. Business had already begun to fall off due to the sheer number of freelance omegas selling themselves by the hour on the street corners for food or credits or a place to sleep for a night.

Kane had thought for a moment that having to service fewer alphas would be a good thing, but then he’d realized that Harkin wouldn’t risk losing profits. He would cull the omegas who brought the least business or cost the most money. The overall number of omegas in Chora’s wouldn’t go up for more than a short time, and Harkin had already threatened to sell him to the batarians. If he didn’t cooperate, Kane’s days were also numbered. As bad as things were here, he’d heard rumors that they were worse there. However, he’d also heard that batarian slaves could buy their freedom, and that wasn’t something he could say for omegas here.

So far, the betas had followed the path he’d anticipated. They’d just done it faster than he’d expected. The logical next step to his mind would be to wait until there were too few alphas to effectively resist and the omegas were tearing each other apart, then begin rounding up and euthanizing them with the excuse that the remaining alphas were a danger and it wasn’t humane to leave omegas without alphas. He needed to be out of here before that happened. Surely there were worlds without betas where they could be free. Kahoku’s plan sounded crazy, but might be the only hope any of them had. 

Harkin entered the day room behind the new omegas and gestured for Kane and Maya to follow him. When they came to him, he said, “We need to get more alphas in here. That means we have to offer something they can’t get from just any omega on the streets. We gotta innovate. You two are gonna be working together sometimes. A package deal, see? And I’m bumping your heat schedules to once a month. Reyes, Vega, and that new one, Allers, too, but they’ll be doing something else on their down time. 

“You want _us_ to work together?” Maya scoffed. “Jerry, that is not—”

“Don’t ‘Jerry’ me, sweetheart,” Harkin snarled. “I own this place. I own you. You’d do well to remember that if you want to keep running your little side business.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said meekly, her hands fisted at her sides and fury flashing in her scent. 

The alpha ignored the defiance, placated enough by her tone. When he left, Kane and Maya looked at each other with disdain. The last thing he wanted was to have to let alphas fuck him with her watching. If she did, she’d know and then she’d find a way to use it against him. She didn’t look any happier about the prospect than he felt. 

It didn’t take long for someone to request them. Alphas didn’t want to share omegas, but it wasn’t at all uncommon for them to pay for two or more for a session. Given that he and Maya had been the faces of Chora’s for years, it wasn’t surprising that someone would jump on the opportunity to have both at once. Kane, however, had never worked with anyone before and had no idea what to expect or what to do. An alpha only had one dick and one knot. 

Watching Maya work was, he had to admit, a thing of beauty. He didn’t have to figure out what to do. She controlled the room from the moment she walked in. Had he not known any better, he would have believed that Maya had been Kane’s best friend for years. She stripped his robe for him, touching him like she’d done it a thousand times, presenting him at the best angles for the alpha who sat on the bed, stroking himself and watching. When they crawled up the bed to him, she was the one who directed Kane’s mouth down while she straddled the alpha. 

And in the end, when the alpha instructed them to kiss and touch each other while he fucked them in turn, she did so as enthusiastically as could be desired. The alpha was so enamored with her that it was she he chose to knot in the end, giving Kane a blessed break.

The truce didn’t last beyond her “Call me _anytime_ , Alpha,” and the door sliding shut behind them. 

She curled her lip and looked him up and down before flouncing away with her hair flung over her shoulder. Kane ignored her disdain. He’d just learned more about controlling an alpha in an hour than he had in years.


	10. Chapter 10

Kane stumbled as he was dragged from a bedroom and shoved onto his knees in front of a scowling Harkin. The alpha client he’d been assigned to for the day growled deep in his chest, glowering down at him. Kane bowed his head under the weight of two alpha glares, bile rising in his throat at the meek subservience he was forced into. 

“The bitch won’t let me knot him!” the alpha roared at Harkin. “Twenty fucking minutes I was stuck with an aching fucking knot _outside_ my omega’s body because he refused it. I didn’t pay you to be left in fucking _pain_ for almost half an hour because of a defective bitch!”

Kane listened as Harkin wheedled the alpha into accepting a different omega. Poor Reyes was going to have his hands full, but better him than Kane. The promise of a year of free service appeased the alpha, but had Harkin in a rage by the time the other man was conned away by the omega. Harkin was already losing patience with him, but this he thought was the final straw. Kane fully expected to be kicked out onto the street. Better than being trapped in this hellhole. 

Kane could handle anything Harkin threw at him. What he couldn’t handle was an alpha deliberately doing to him what Conrad Verner had done by accident. Even Maya couldn’t have changed the man’s mind. Kane’s only option was to refuse.

Harkin grabbed him by the ear and dragged him over to a chair where he proceeded to loom over him, knuckles white where they bracketed him on the arms of the uncomfortable chair. He put his nose to Kane’s, shouting until spittle flew from his thin lips. Kane put on a careful mask of indifference and attempted to stare through the alpha. Harkin’s scent was metallic with fury, coating the back of his throat in a bitter film. Kane should have been trying to appease him. That he wasn’t only further infuriated the alpha. 

“I am fed _up_ , omega!” Harkin snarled. “You think things are bad here? You’re pampered, pretty boy. You wouldn’t last two days outside this place. If I kicked you out, you’d be begging to come home in a matter of days.“

“You don’ know anything about me,” Kane said flatly, letting his disdain show in his tone. “And this place isn’t home.”

When Harkin spoke again, his voice was low, dangerous. “You’ve cost me the last credit I’m going to spend on you. I’m done with your little games, Ryder. You are going to learn your place, _princess_.”

A dangerous calm settled over him as Harkin stalked away. He might get beaten, but he’d take a beatdown on principle. Two years of heats induced every three months and now every few weeks, two and sometimes three alphas knotting him almost every day, and a dozen painful, bloody miscarriages had finally taken him to the breaking point. No more. He was getting out of here one way or another. 

He waited for Harkin to return, attempting to mentally prepare himself for the beating to come. Harkin wouldn’t risk marking him too badly. Kane knew how to handle pain. He did it every day. Very little could draw more than a wince from him anymore, much less the whimpers and pained cries Harkin had wrenched from him while killing his baby. He would take it and then he would find an opportunity to escape even if things had gone crazy in the outside world. 

The vid screen droned in the background, showing images of alphas and a handful of omegas gathered outside one of the breeding centers. The signs they’d carried had turned into bludgeons and smoke billowed out behind the reporter from little grenades the police tossed into the crowds. 

“Protests continue to escalate following Parliament’s most recent revision of several laws regarding alphas and omegas. In addition, most breeding centers have posted new openings for fertile beta females, especially those with pure beta parentage. The protesters claim that betas are attempting to breed them out of existence.

“The London Breeding Center released a public statement on their website saying that: ‘In light of growing population levels and the trend of prospective adoptive beta couples requesting beta infants, we feel that our clientele will best be served by shifting our focus to assisting betas who wish to bear children of their own. To that end, we have been working on treatments to increase beta fertility rates and have met with success. It is our opinion that, given the ease with which alphas and omegas are able to conceive without assistance, their need for our services is minimal. With this new treatment option in place, we are no longer in need of omegas to bear children as we will be offering fertility treatments free of charge to any betas who consent to provide us with one year of service.’

“In related news, the Alliance, in an effort to provide alphas and omegas who may now be looking for work with skills and employment outside of the so-called ‘mating centers,’ has announced that it will be doubling sign-on bonuses for any alphas or omegas wishing to enlist. This comes at a time when—” 

The door opened with a bang that made Kane jump. A short, bulky alpha with a severe blonde high-and-tight haircut typical to the military squeezed himself through it, his sharp, predatory eyes locking on Kane. A leering grin revealed a sharp canine and the man’s hands flexed in anticipation. Dread curdled in Kane’s belly at the scent of him. No alpha smelled entirely pleasant to Kane, but this one...this one smelled like blood. 

Four hours later, Miranda strode into the room where he lay battered on the bed, attempting to catalogue his aches. After having his way with him, the alpha had left him here, unable to do more than drag himself fully onto the bed. The reddened sheets were growing cool against his sticky thighs, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. His breath came in hitching, burning sobs that wrenched their way past his abused throat. He blinked blearily up at the beta female, waiting for her reprimand.

“Well,” she said, her sharp blue eyes taking him in. “This is...not entirely unexpected, I guess. You aren’t going to be able to work for a month, damn it. Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary.” She slid an arm under his chest, slowly raising him up, her brow furrowing. “We need to treat this quickly before you scar.”

The infirmary was a small room with little more than basic first aid supplies. There was no nurse or doctor to man it. Miranda was the closest they had and her medical training was minimal. Still, her motions were sure and steady as she washed her hands and donned a pair of exam gloves, momentarily unconcerned with the smears of red staining her white catsuit. She used a wet cloth to clean his wounds. He watched as if from a distance as she catalogued every mark on his body, rattling them off into her omni-tool before scanning for internal injuries.

“Harkin,” she said into the glowing orange device. “I found Kane. Your friend did a number on him. He needs to go to the hospital. I can’t treat all this here.”

“Reeves’ tastes are...singular, aren’t they? I warned him I’d spent my last credit on him,” the alpha’s voice filtered into the room. “Patch him up, give him some medigel, and put him back to work. How’s his face?”

“A split lip, broken nose, and two black eyes. I can set it, but I can’t promise it’ll heal straight,” she said. “I’m telling you, he _really_ needs a doctor. There’s no way he can go back to work for weeks otherwise.”

“Do what you can. If he doesn’t heal right, I’ll sell him. I want him able to man the front in three days and Kahoku wants him first thing next week. If he can’t perform, he’ll go to the batarians The vorcha would have fun with him.” Harkin’s last sentence cut through the miasma of pain and misery and made Kane freeze.

“God _damn_ it,” she bit out when she closed her omni-tool. “What a damned fool.” 

So, that was Harkin’s plan. Sell him to the batarians. He’d heard of vorcha, and had seen a picture in one of his textbooks. He shuddered. Whatever a human might do to him, a vorcha could do far worse with just their mouths. He’d had nightmares for weeks after seeing that picture. There was little in the galaxy that frightened him anymore, but vorcha were at the top of that list. 

Miranda quirked an eyebrow. “You know what batarians and vorcha are, don’t you? Did you know their dicks have spines? Like a cat. You think you’re in pain now? Trust me, you _want_ to cooperate with Harkin, Kane. I understand why you don’t, but—”

“You don’ un’erstand anything,” Kane mumbled through his swollen mouth.

She drew fluid into a syringe and said quietly, “I understand more than you think.”

“Then why are you here?” he demanded. “Why do you work for him?”

“Would you want to discover what your life was like if I didn’t?” she asked. “Your arse looks like someone gave you a severe paddling, by the way. What _did_ he do to you?” 

“I don’ wanna talk about it,” he muttered hoarsely. He didn’t want to think about it. Ever. 

She injected him with the fluid and spread medigel over the cuts on his chest. It did little for bruising, but she passed him a packet to smear over the numerous ones painting his body anyway. He winced when his fingers moved over his buttocks and twisted painfully to find them a deep purple that might have been pretty had it not been on his skin. He fought rising nausea at the image and screwed his eyes shut as he gingerly dabbed medigel onto his entrance. The knotting had been the least painful part of the entire ordeal. By the time the alpha had gotten around to taking him, all of the fight had been beaten out of him. He’d been large, though, and Kane’s broken body had resisted the stretch. 

When he returned to his room, he crawled onto the bed. The threadbare sheets scraped against his healing wounds and even the air brushing over his skin was too much. Shivers wracked his body, making his teeth clench as he tried to process what had happened to him. Conrad had been bad. The miscarriages, especially the late one, had been devastating. This, though...he didn’t know if he could recover from this. 

For the first time in his life, he’d been truly afraid of an alpha. He had now seen what they were fully capable of. Though short for an alpha, the man had been both taller and much stronger than Kane. His struggles had been useless. What’s more, the man had seemed to _enjoy_ them. He’d had clients who’d liked that their knots had been painful and Kai Leng had enjoyed his misery during the heat Maya had pushed onto him, but he realized now that had been child’s play. This one had deliberately broken him just to see it. 

Before Reeves, he’d at least had the illusion of control. He could choose whether or not to take a knot. He could choose how cooperative he was. For the most part, he could choose how he reacted to it. With Reeves, he’d had no control, even over his own body. The big man had moved him where he’d wanted him to be, had drawn reactions Kane hadn’t wanted to let him see, had made him scream when he’d wanted to be silent. 

Kane had thought he’d lost the last of his innocence when he’d been forced to abort the baby he’d wanted to keep. He’d been wrong. He hadn’t always—or really ever— _wanted_ to be with his clients, though some were better than others, but he’d never felt _violated_ like this before. For the first time in his life, he felt like a victim. For the first time, he looked at his past in terms of the rest of his life and wondered why he chose to keep going. 

There was no escape. He hadn’t set foot outside this building in fifteen years except for his failed escape attempts or to run errands for Harkin to other centers and back. The only things he knew about the outside world came from his one glance of the outskirts of the city, books, gossip from alphas whose tongues loosened during knotting, and the news clips they were allowed to see on the vid screen. The odds of him ever seeing it for himself were devastatingly low. 

There was one thing left that he could control. He reached a hand out and peeled away the tape from the stolen screwdriver he used to memorialize each of his lost children, a number that had continued to rise after that seventh heartbreaking one. He’d kept the point from dulling by scraping it on the concrete floor. It wasn’t _sharp_ , exactly, but it was good enough. He knew where his heart was. The tool didn’t need to go deep. He just had to position it right and then jam it in at the correct angle and it would all be over. It would probably hurt, but everything hurt, so what was one more momentary pain to stop a lifetime of suffering?

A knock on the door made him freeze with the screwdriver pressed to his chest. The door opened and Liam took two steps inside before stopping with his gaze locked on Kane’s hands. His expression shifted from concern to dismay. “Oh, Ryder. Don’t. You don’t want to do that.”

Kane stuffed it under his pillow, wincing at the abrupt motion, and stared up at the older omega. “You don’ know what I want.”

“Yeah, I do,” Liam said, closing the door behind him. “I’ve been there. I know what it’s like when hope’s gone. Miranda thought I could help you.”

“What could _you_ do?” Kane asked. “What could _anyone_ do?”

Liam shook his head and sat on the floor beside the bed. “Show you that it’s possible to survive. You need a purpose.”

* * *

Kahoku cupped Kane’s bruised jaw and pressed his lips to the top of his head. “I meant what I told you before. You remember, right?”

“I remember. A new beginning.”

“That’s right,” Kahoku said, slipping Kane’s shirt over his head. 

His dark eyes travelled over Kane’s chest, his brow furrowing at the silver lines that hadn’t been there before. His hands became brusque as they pushed Kane’s loose cotton pants over his hips. He stepped back and circled him, eyeing him critically. 

Kane’s heart jumped into his throat and he chewed the inside of his cheek, watching the alpha closely. Kahoku had never hurt him before, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t if he was dissatisfied with him. Kane was very careful to ensure that he never went to one client with marks from another. They might cognitively know they were sharing the omegas, but they didn’t like seeing proof of it. This, though, was something Kane couldn’t hide. 

It had gotten better, but there was no mistaking that _something_ had happened. Makeup borrowed from Vetra had covered the fading bruises under his eyes and medigel had healed the split in his lip. Miranda had set his nose and it looked mostly straight again. Everything else, though, bore the evidence of his ordeal. 

Kahoku’s hand was gentle on his ass, but Kane still flinched, anticipating a strike. The alpha’s voice was low and anger darkened his scent when he said, “Who did this to you?”

“A client, alpha,” Kane said thickly, lowering his eyes and placatingly tipping his chin down and to the side. 

Fuckin’ alphas couldn’t be trusted. Like dogs, they’d take what they wanted and turn on you as soon as you let your guard down. No matter how nice they were, he had to remember that they didn’t care about him, only about having a place to stick their dicks. Kahoku had made promises, but so had a lot of others. 

“Harkin allowed this?”

“Harkin...Harkin sanctioned it,” he whispered. 

Kahoku shook his head, hand still on Kane’s buttock. “Are you in pain?”

“No, alpha,” Kane said, swallowing hard. 

Kahoku’s hand tightened on his ass and Kane jolted. The alpha snapped, “Don’t lie to me, omega. I am not a cruel person. I don’t want to hurt you, which means I need to know the truth of your condition.”

“It’s...sore,” Kane admitted.

“Then I’ll be gentle,” he said. “Get on the bed. Whatever position will be the most comfortable for you. I’ll even let you be on top if you’d like.”

Kane blinked at him in surprise before moving onto the bed and stretching as alluringly as he could with his injuries. George undressed himself and joined him, rolling onto his back. The alpha watched as Kane moved over him, plying him with the sensual touches and soft brushes of his lips he knew he liked. The politician’s smooth hands roamed over his shoulders and carded through his hair, gently urging him lower. 

Kane complied, taking the alpha into his mouth to thank him in the only way he knew how. Kahoku could have hurt him and no one would have looked twice at it. Many other alphas would have. He didn’t. George had always been different. Kane couldn’t predict him and it made him wary, but in this instance, he was grateful.

“Oh, I will miss this,” Kahoku moaned. 

Kane worked him until the alpha pulled him up his body and then settled himself over him. “You really have enough power to do it?” he asked, trailing his fingers over the alpha’s collarbone. 

Kahoku grasped his hips, thrusting smoothly up into him with a groan. “Oh, yes. You like that, don’t you? Knowing that if I continue to do this right, I could be your savior?”

“Yes, alpha,” he whispered, ruthlessly crushing the hope that tried to rise.

The man’s back arched into Kane’s motions and he moaned, panting, “I’ll get you out of here, Kane. All the way out. Not just here. Not Earth. New worlds. No more betas. No Alliance. Just us. Just alphas and omegas. Oh, dear _God_ , do that again.” 

Kane seated himself fully onto the alpha and circled his hips, tweaking his nipples and stroking a finger behind his balls. “Where?” he breathed. “Where would we go?”

“Andromeda,” the man groaned, long and loud, eyes rolling back into his head. 


	11. Chapter 11

The com dinged again.

“Chora’s Den. This is Kane. How may I pleasure you?” Kane answered.

“Yes, hello? I need to...make an appointment, I suppose. With an omega.”

“Male or female, alpha?” he asked. This guy was clearly new enough that he wouldn’t have a file yet, so he opened a new record and positioned his fingers over the haptic keyboard. 

There was a pause before the somewhat clipped response came. “Male. Please.”

“Alright,” Kane said, narrowing down the list of possibilities in his head. First-timers often had to be walked through. There was still a stigma around attending a place like this, even if they were publicly sanctioned. “Do you have any physical preferences?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you have a preference for tall, short, heavyset, slim, hair color, eye color, things of that nature? We have a broad range of body types and appearances to tailor to your desires,” Kane answered.

“Ah. I’ve never given that much thought to it. You make it sound like there’s a menu.” The alpha huffed a self-deprecating laugh. “I’m sorry. It’s probably very apparent I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what the proper etiquette is.”

Kane blinked at the com. Not an alpha, then. He’d never heard an alpha apologize to an omega, and this one had done it casually enough not to have thought about it. That meant beta or another omega, which narrowed the list a little more. 

“That’s alright, sir,” he said soothingly. “That’s what I’m here for. I’ll ask you a few questions to figure out who the best match will be for you and then we’ll get you scheduled. There is, in fact, a menu of sorts. We have a list of all of our omegas with headshots and basic information. If you’d like, I can send it to your omni-tool.”

“Sure, I guess. Why don’t you do that, please? I didn’t… I was joking, actually, or I wouldn’t have said it.” The humor evaporated out of his voice. The man rattled off his omni-tool ID.

Shit. He’d either humiliated him or pissed him off. Either way, if Kane screwed this up and lost a client, Harkin would have his ass. He’d been trying to set the guy at ease, but he’d missed the mark somehow. He sent the list of male omegas to the caller and tapped his finger against the counter while he tried to figure out how to fix it. 

“It should be arriving now,” he finally said. “If you’ll give me your top three choices, I can help narrow it down for you with a few more questions.”

“Um…ok.” The man hummed softly as he considered. “I guess…Kane?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Oh, shit. That’s _you?_ I am so sorry. I’ve never done this before; I don’t know what I’m doing. I must have missed your name at the beginning of the call. Is it strange to have someone request you to your face? I think I’ve messed this up.”

The man’s reaction brought a rare grin to Kane’s face and he tried to keep the humor out of his voice when he answered, “No, it’s not strange at all, sir. It happens all the time. You’re doing just fine. Is there anyone else on the list who catches your eye?”

“Oh, good. It’s not just me then. Ah, no. No one else is as…appealing?” The words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush. “I feel like I should apologize again.”

Kane bit back a chuckle. “You really don’t, sir. It’s fine. I promise. If you’ll just answer a few more questions for me so that I can ensure that I’m properly prepared for your visit, I’ll get you set up. First, could I get a name for the reservation, please?”

“Shepard. Kellan Shepard. You’re giving me an easy one to help me out, aren’t you?” The self-deprecating chuckle was back. At least the guy seemed to be less embarrassed and more conversational now. 

“You caught me,” Kane said, letting the humor slip through. “And what is your secondary gender, sir?” 

He’d put money on the guy being a beta. If he had any money, at least. Thank fuck. He might not like the shit that betas were pulling with them, but fucking them was easy and at least somewhat enjoyable.

“Alpha.” 

Kane’s fingers stuttered on the keyboard and he gaped at the com. No way was this guy an alpha. What was his game? Alphas didn’t apologize to omegas. They certainly didn’t make jokes with them. He’d never seen one anything short of utterly self-confident and most were self-absorbed. _Oh, god. Please, not another virgin…_. He didn’t think he could handle a repeat of Conrad.

“Alpha. Alright. Huh. Well, that’s the end of the easy questions, I’m afraid.” He shook himself, searching for his facade of easy professionalism again. “What is your...sexual experience level, alpha?” _Please don’t be a virgin._

“You weren’t kidding about that being the end of the easy questions, were you? I’m not sure how to answer that. How does one rate that kind of thing, anyway? It won’t be my first time with an omega, if that’s what you’re really asking.”

Kane breathed a silent sigh of relief. “That’s what I needed to know. Thank you, alpha. Next, and I promise these are part of our standard questionnaire for all new clients, do you have any particular kinks, fetishes, or limits you’d like me to know about?”

“Um. No. I’m...just looking for something standard, I think.” His embarrassment was thick over the line. “Do you?”

Kane stared at the com again for a moment before answering. He’d never had an alpha ask if he had preferences before. “Chora’s Den asks that our clients avoid causing damage to any staff members, but our omegas have no limits short of permanent bodily harm,” he answered, marking ‘vanilla’ on the form. “Your desires are ours, whatever those may be.”

“Uh _huh_. It sounds almost convincing when you say it like that.” The alpha said skeptically.

Kane didn’t know what to say to that, so he ignored it. “Oh, here’s another easy one for you. Do you prefer mornings, afternoons, or evenings?”

“I’m on shore leave; it doesn’t matter. Whenever your next availability is.”

“In that case, I can see you on Wednesday at nineteen hundred,” Kane said. “Would you like a quarter hour, half hour, full hour, or more? My pricing schedule is listed on the page I sent you.”

“Can I do two hours?” he asked. “That should be enough.”

Kane raised an eyebrow at that. Harkin charged a premium for his services and clients ultimately paid by the minute rather than the hour. The only time anyone went over an hour was during heat. He couldn’t imagine what the man intended to do for two whole hours that didn’t involve some sort of kink. 

“That sounds fine,” he answered.

“Alright. It’s a date. I’ll see you then.”

“Thank you for choosing Chora’s Den,” Kane said before adding, “And don’t be nervous, alpha. I don’t bite.”

“Ha!” The alpha chuckled again, completely at ease now. “Thanks, Kane. Don’t think too badly of my ineptitude.” 

“I didn’t find you inept at all, alpha,” Kane reassured him. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.” 

“Until then.”

Well, if nothing else, this should be interesting, Kane thought as he disconnected the call. An alpha who apologized. That in itself was odd. The man’s entire personality was strange. Different could be good, but it made Kane a little nervous. He didn’t know what to expect and that was not something to which he was accustomed. Oh, well. If it was bad, he’d get through it. He always did. If it wasn’t bad...Shepard hadn’t batted an eyelash over the cost of two hours of his time. That meant he could afford it, and _that_ meant he was very likely rich. 

Kane marked the appointment on his calendar with a smug grin. If he played his cards right, he may have just taken step one in his plan. Now, he just needed to confirm that the strange alpha was what he was looking for and figure out how to hook him. 

* * *

~*~ Shepard ~*~

Kellan Shepard sat in silence for a few minutes after the call disconnected, lips pursed as he looked at the other alpha sitting quietly across the desk from him. He could feel the heat in his neck trying to spread to his cheeks. Kahoku was thankfully feigning disinterest and reading a datapad until Kellan decided to start talking. The younger alpha was grateful for the illusion.

“Well. _That_ was...not my best work,” he muttered, finally feeling the embarrassment start to recede. “Are you sure you want me on this one, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Just know I have no idea how to act. I’ve never been to a center before.”

Amusement laced the older alpha’s voice and scent. “Clearly, that will not be an issue. You’re in good hands with Kane. He’ll take care of you.” Kellan shot him a look, and he chuckled. “Relax. These things have a way of working out. And I’m confident in your ability to adapt and overcome. That’s what N7s do, is it not?”

“Yes, sir.” 

“Given your history with missions, covert and otherwise, I’ve no doubt you’ll be successful at this one. Your bill at the center will be taken care of in full for the duration of the mission. Please keep in mind, however, that the funding is not unlimited. As of right now, you are officially on shore leave. Unofficially, you’re on the clock until it’s concluded. You’ll report directly to me, and your pay will come from my budget.”

Kellan exhaled slowly, thinking. “Alright. What are you looking for, specifically?”

“Intel on the deterioration of relations between betas, omegas, and alphas and how that is affecting the centers; if there’s a marked increase in abuse and alpha hostility towards the omega staff _due_ to the deterioration between betas, omegas, and alphas, etcetera, etcetera. Anything you think will be useful or of note. I need data. I need a report to submit to Parliament to show this is an issue. And I need to show why the Andromeda Initiative might be a viable option for alphas and omegas.”

“With all due respect, sir, I think you’re setting yourself up for failure.”

“That may be, Shepard, but if I don’t take a stand, who will? Earth is on the brink of a civil war, and I’m not entirely convinced it will go the way we hope it will. It worries me.”

“You and me both, sir.” 

Kellan left Kahoku’s office and made his way to his apartment in the officer’s bloc on Arcturus, mulling over the information he’d been given. Civil rights on a global scale. Christ. He didn’t remember it being as much an issue when he was younger, but then again he’d probably been too young to recognize it if it was there. He’d grown up on space stations, so he’d had no idea how it was for his people on Earth. He finished packing his rucksack and locked the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

Kane stood behind the counter for the second time that week and checked the clock. Eighteen forty-five. His appointment with the strange alpha was in fifteen minutes. He signaled for Tali to take over the desk and hurried back to the Red Room he’d reserved for the next two hours. A quick check showed that Sid had already been in. A tray sat on the nightstand with a chilled glass pitcher of water and a cup, as well as an assortment of finger foods in case the alpha wanted a snack. Clean towels were stacked in the armoire against the wall. The bed was freshly made. The nightstand was stocked with various types of lubricants and an arrangement of toys in case he needed them. 

He stripped down and folded his clothing, placing it in the armoire and retrieving a lacy black robe that left nothing to the imagination. He’d always thought they looked silly with their bits covered in nothing but sheer black lace, but Harkin liked it, so all of the guys’ efforts at getting him to order silk or satin robes had been in vain. For all of the class that he liked to pretend to portray, Harkin and Chora’s Den still managed to fall just short of it. The center down the road where Sha’ira worked was classy. He’d been there a few times on errands for Harkin. The foul-smelling alpha could learn a thing or two from Sha’ira and Aethyta. 

Kane perched on the edge of the bed and then stood and then stretched out on it, trying to find a way to make the damned robe look something other than ridiculous. This alpha could be what he was looking for. He needed to make a good first impression. He glanced at the mirrors on the wall and rolled his eyes at himself before undoing the belt so that it hung open and propping against the headboard with his hands stacked behind his head. There. Casual, but showed off his physique. He’d bulked up in the past couple years, and while he wasn’t nearly as thick as Vega, he hadn’t gotten any complaints.

The door opened. Kane’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared at the scent that wafted into the room. The strangely apologetic alpha had to duck to get through the doorway. He must have been at least a few inches over six feet tall, easily the biggest alpha Kane had ever seen, and he smelled unlike any other Kane had met. 

The thought of what he was likely packing in the faded blue jeans he wore made Kane’s blood run cold. He swallowed hard, breathing deeply of the alluring scent to calm himself and fighting to keep his composure. He sank deeper into the cocky, carefree persona he’d crafted so carefully over the years. 

“Hello, alpha,” he said with a devil-may-care leer and a quirked eyebrow.

Said alpha stood with his spine ramrod straight in the doorway, smoky gray eyes passing slowly down Kane’s body and lingering before snapping back up to his face and staying there, color creeping up from his collar and his nostrils flaring slightly. Desire spiced the air, mingling with the suddenly heady musk of alpha male. 

“Hello. I’m Shepard. Or you can just call me Kellan.” He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting the strap of the small rucksack he carried. “My first inclination is to shake your hand, but I don’t know if that’s the appropriate thing to do in this situation.” He offered it anyway.

Kane rolled gracefully up onto his knees and took the alpha’s hand, his breath catching as the scent of the man strengthened. It was all he could do not to bury his nose against Shepard’s wrist and just _breathe_ him in. He found himself unconsciously leaning closer to him, his head tipping to the side to expose a bit of his throat, his eyes dropping. He would have laughed at himself if he wasn’t so entranced. So _this_ was what an alpha was supposed to smell like.

“So…” Kellan said, dropping his hand and glancing around the room, particularly in the corners of the ceiling as he activated his omni-tool. “I suppose it’s my turn to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind.” The orange glow from the ‘tool threw his angular face in sharp relief as he scanned the room.

Kane watched him in a sort of bemused confusion, anxiety over the strange behavior warring with the desire to move closer to him. “You can ask me anything, alpha. Kellan.”

“Just ‘Kellan’ is fine,” the alpha replied, distracted by his omni-tool. “And I appreciate that.” He shut off his ‘tool and let the bag slide to the ground, moving to the window and looking out at the street. “How much of what happens in these rooms do you report to your supervisor?”

Kane’s eyes followed the bag before locking onto the strange alpha. Sudden fear starburst through him. What did the man have planned that was going to take two hours, require a rucksack of supplies, and concern him that Kane might report it? He hadn’t sounded certain when he answered Kane’s question about kinks and limits. Kane had assumed he was vanilla, but that was a rookie error. The kind of rookie error that had gotten Jenkins killed. 

He tried to swallow the fear before it tainted his scent and said steadily, “That depends, I suppose. We’re required to report it if a client attempts to do serious harm to us or themselves.” Not that Harkin cared, but Miranda would usually give them a day or two off to recover if one got too out of control.

“I’m sorry. That probably came out the wrong way,” Shepard said with a chagrined glance over his shoulder, his nose twitching. “I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, you can, ah… cover up. Dress. Make yourself comfortable. Whatever you want to do.” Disappointment trickled through his scent as he moved to inspect the bathroom. “I’ve been assured I could count on your silence with this, and if we work together, it just might work out in both of our favors.”

A completely different kind of fear rose to the surface. Had Kane displeased the alpha somehow? If Harkin found out that a two-hour client had walked in and changed his mind after only a few moments, Kane didn’t know what he would do. He tugged the robe closed, feeling suddenly self-conscious, and chewed the inside of his lip. Damn it, if this didn’t work, it could be years before he found another prospect for his plan. And he’d fucked it up within minutes. 

Of course, did he really want to trade a lot of abusive alphas he only had to see temporarily for one he was permanently stuck with? No. Not permanently. Just for long enough to get out of here and then get away. He’d let the dude do whatever he wanted to him on a short-term basis to get out of this hellhole.

“You can,” he said quickly, demurely exposing his throat again. “They won’t care. If you hurt me, I mean. Even if I told them. They won’t report you or anything. Did I do something to displease you, alpha? Kellan, I mean. Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m really very good, I promise.” 

The alpha gave him a quizzical look, brow furrowed. “Why would I want to? And no, you didn’t do anything to ‘displease’ me. I have no doubts you’re…good? At what you do.” He exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck again. “I don’t mean to insult. I’m out of my depth here. Please, sit down and relax.” He gestured to the bed and took the chair for himself. 

_Oh._ Kane slowly sat, tugging the robe tighter and feeling even sillier than when he’d put it on. He should have picked up on this. The guy had never done this before. Kane was moving too fast. Shepard had built in time to do things to help him relax. It was smart, not devious. He just needed to slow down and let the alpha get comfortable, then they’d go. That was fine. It was different, but it was fine if that’s what he needed. 

It wasn’t Kane’s job to judge. It was his job to please. He began running through different things he could try to put the alpha at ease. The heady scent of him made Kane’s head spin, and he caught himself leaning closer again. It was like being in heat, but without the pain and much gentler. If this was what the others experienced, it was little wonder they were more tolerant of Harkin and seemed to actually enjoy their appointments on occasion. He’d never understood it before. 

“As I said on the phone, your desires are mine,” he said, giving the alpha his best come-hither smile. “If this is too revealing for now, I can put my jeans back on and then you can decide when you’d like me to take them off.” He dropped his voice. “Or when _you_ want to, if you’re the type who likes to do it yourself.” Kane flashed a grin he hoped would put the man at ease. Humor had worked well on the phone.

The alpha grinned back at him, his neck still pink. “Whatever makes you the most comfortable. We’ll see. Typically, I enjoy working with my hands, but this isn’t a normal situation.” 

Kane nodded, thinking he finally had the alpha figured out, but then the humor drained out of the easy smile and Shepard sobered. 

“So, I have a proposition for you. Like I said, if you’re willing to help me, it might work out for the both of us. I’m not here for, _ahem_ , sex. As you might’ve gathered.” The flush at his neck deepened. “What I _am_ here for is the location and your time. And, I suspect, given the nature of this place,” he gestured to the room, “that you might be inclined to make some money and not have to work for it on your knees. Does that sound reasonable to you?”

Kane’s brow furrowed and he shifted uneasily. “I’m confused,” he said quietly, slowly edging away from the strange alpha. 

Scent be damned. Shepard had tricked him. He was dangerous. Putting his clothes back on suddenly didn’t sound like a bad idea. Somehow the awkward, jocular man he’d talked to a few days ago had managed to flip the script on him and now Kane was the one off-balance. Clothing would make him feel slightly less vulnerable. 

He kept his eyes on the massive alpha as he went to the armoire and retrieved his pants, slipping into them without regard for the audience. He tossed the hated robe into the armoire and moved back to the edge of the bed as far from Shepard as he could get. There was an emergency call button hidden behind the headboard in every room. Kane inched closer to it, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling.

“Again, I’m not going to hurt you,” Shepard said, raising his hands up in front of him and spreading his palms. “I need an excuse to get in here regularly, and the easiest way to do it is to hire someone. Your desires are mine, right? I want you to do whatever makes you comfortable, or whatever it is you want to do while I spend time here. Take a nap, read a book, play a game, whatever. You’ll get paid for the time regardless how you spend it, yes? _”_

“I don’t get paid. Harkin keeps the money,” Kane said absently, looking from the alpha to the rucksack again. 

This guy wasn’t going to help him with his plan. He was quite possibly the biggest threat that Kane had ever come across. No matter how much he hated it there, the brothel was his entire world, and this stranger had something nefarious planned for it. Why else would he be lying and sneaking around? Kane wanted out, but he didn’t want Joker or Vega or Sid or any of the others harmed in the process. 

He narrowed his eyes at the alpha. “Why? What are you planning on doing to us? Tell me why I shouldn’t call Miranda in here right now.”

“I’m not going to do anything to you, or any of the omegas. The only thing I’m interested in is how you’re all treated. The way I can best find out is by being here regularly.” Kellan tipped his head to catch Kane’s eyes. “If what I find is what I’ve been told to look for, there’s a good chance you won’t have to be treated like that anymore. So. What do you say?”

Kane heaved a sigh of relief, the tension draining from him. “Oh! You’re an _inspector_! That...is a lot better than what I—” He shook his head. “Never mind. Yes. Yeah. I can help you. If you’re actually going to do something. I thought Harkin had paid them all off, though?”

The alpha’s eyes glinted and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Does he, now? Do you know how much?”

“Wait. This isn’t a trick, is it? You’re one of Harkin’s friends here to test my loyalty, aren’t you? I’m not sayin’ shit to you.”

“No. No loyalty test. We have a mutual... _friend_. Kahoku? I’m doing this as a favor for him. I’m with a special task force the brass threw him to shut him up, but that doesn’t mean that I will be ineffective. I need your help, Kane. Please.”

“Kahoku sent you?” he asked. “Huh. Okay, then. I’ll help. But I’m confirming with him when I see him again. If he says he doesn’t know you, I won’t schedule you again and I’ll tell Miranda not to let you in. Got it?”

The alpha leaned back in the chair with a grin again. “Agreed.”

Kane nodded, going back to the armoire and putting his shirt on. “Just one problem, though. Someone will be cleaning this room when we’re done. If it doesn’t smell like sex, they’ll report it to Harkin and then the gig is up. He won’t believe that you were in here with me for two hours and we didn’t fuck at least once.”

“Yeah, I thought of that…” he nodded towards the rucksack, flushing to his ears this time. “I brought a… sheath toy. For me. I figured in the last half hour, we can mess up the bed, then you go hide in the bathroom and I’ll, uh, take care of myself. Use a towel to clean up. Might work if you wiped yourself with a couple so they smell like both of us.”

“I shower afterward, so they won’t notice if I don’t smell like you,” he said, tipping his head as he looked at the alpha in confusion. “So let me get this straight. You paid for two _very_ expensive hours of sex with an omega. And you’re going to use a _toy_? Why? I’m right here. Unless...oh. You’re straight, aren’t you? Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Kellan snorted in amusement, settling comfortably in the chair. “It’s not my money. It seems a little unethical to submit a business expense reimbursement request for me to get my rocks off with someone on the government’s dime. I am definitely not straight, heh, or this would be even more awkward. I think that was one of the reasons why Kahoku picked me for the job, to be honest. Additionally, there’s the fact that you probably don’t actually _want_ to, and I’m not in the habit of forcing people to have sex with me.”

He shifted his weight before closing the armoire doors. “Nobody forces me,” he said without looking at the alpha. “This is what I do. And you...smell really good. I’m not against the idea. If you’re sure, though, there’s a bathtub in there I think I’ll finally try out.”

“It would be unethical, like I said. Do what you like. I’ll see you when you get out.” Kellan pulled a datapad out of his bag and propped it on his crossed leg, starting to scribble things down, mild disappointment coloring his scent again. “Enjoy.”

Kane had never been turned down before. He didn’t know how to take it, and he didn’t know what the alpha meant with his reasoning. ‘Ethical’ meant nothing to him. He didn’t necessarily _want_ to have sex with the guy, but getting turned down by the first alpha he thought was attractive stung. 

That was all there was to it. He’d had to fuck so many he didn’t want to, and now the one he wouldn’t mind doing it with didn’t want to fuck him. But he didn’t get to choose and the alpha did. The double standard drove home what he was. 

He went to the large, jetted tub and turned the water on. He’d enjoy the free time and pretend the weird, gorgeous alpha wasn’t sitting a few meters away in the other room. The break would be nice. Still, he eyed himself critically in the mirror. The medigel Miranda had put on him hadn’t been enough to prevent a few thin silver scars over his chest. She’d done a good job with his nose, though. It was almost straight. The split in his lip had healed with only a microscopic scar. The bruising was long gone. He didn’t look any worse than he had before the ordeal.

He sank down into the water and let the powerful jets thrum against his muscles. His shoulders slumped. This one had seemed to be the best prospect he’d found so far for his plan. Uncertain and easygoing meant malleable. Enough money to buy two hours of his time. No connections to the brothel and not a regular, so likely not sympathetic to them. But instead, the money came from the government, the uncertainty was likely an act, and the guy was walking in the clouds if he thought he could actually do something about the conditions here. 

No one would listen to him. No one would care. The betas made the regulations and they were likely planning genocide. Why would they care that an omega whore had been beaten up once in a brothel? He was just going to have to find another way. Shepard couldn’t help him.

Shortly before the end of his time and feeling like a prune from too much time in the tub but uncertain of what else to do, Kane heard the alpha begin moving around in the other room. The bed creaked quietly. He waited for Shepard to change his mind and call him in, but aside from a soft grunt, there was silence. 

He shook his head with professional indignation. _He_ had been passed over for a _toy_. Kane was right there. He’d already been paid for, regardless of where the money had come from. It made no sense to pass it up, especially when he had to get off either way. Perhaps he wasn’t really an alpha after all. Kane wasn’t entirely convinced he wasn’t just a very tall beta with an amazing body spray. 

Or neutered. 

_That_ would explain a lot. The guy was neutered and didn’t want to admit it. It fit with the refusal of a mostly-naked omega offering himself up, the once-over glance he hadn’t repeated, the disinterest in fucking him, the embarrassment, even his relaxed attitude. Kane had only heard of it happening to alphas who’d violated some law or was accused of something involving a beta. It carried huge stigma with it. No wonder he didn’t want to— 

A strangled moan came from the other room and the alpha’s scent changed. Kane ran a hand through his hair and let the water drain from the bathtub. Never mind _that_ idea. Judging by the scent coming from the room, Shepard was most definitely a healthy, intact, virile, alpha male. A desirable one, too. That meant he just didn’t want Kane. 

He should have been relieved.


	13. Chapter 13

Kane paced the Red Room, waiting for Shepard to arrive for their second appointment. He’d spoken with Kahoku two days before. The politician had confirmed that the other alpha was working for him and asked Kane to cooperate with him. He still thought it was a dangerous prospect, but as long as it didn’t put Joker and the others at excessive risk, he didn’t care. What would Harkin do to him if he found out? Sell him to the batarians? He was going to do that eventually anyway. He’d end it all first and either way, he’d be free of this place. 

He still hadn’t entirely unpacked the last meeting with the big alpha in his own mind, but he felt more prepared this time. Shepard wouldn’t take him off guard the way he had the first time. Casual, humorous, put-together. He could do that. Hell, he did it every day. Funny where he could be and manipulative as shit where he couldn’t. That was Kane Ryder. He just needed to step up his game with this one. That was doable. He manipulated alphas all the time. It was one of the things he was best at.

The door slid open and he stopped pacing, turning instead to face the towering alpha as he ducked through the low doorway. His scent was just as alluring as it had been before. Kane’s mood ticked up, and he shot the alpha a tight grin. It was too bad the man was so uptight. What he was going to manipulate him into doing and how, Kane wasn’t sure yet, but he’d figure it out. At least he didn’t have to wear the stupid robe.

“Kellan,” he greeted, tipping his head to show the side of his jaw in deference. 

“Good afternoon,” the alpha replied, gaze sweeping over him and lingering a bit on his jeans before locking back onto Kane’s face. He dropped the rucksack on the bed and started rummaging in one of the pockets. “You look much more comfortable this time. I brought you something, by the way.” He handed Kane a round ball wrapped in foil.

Kane shrugged. “I figured you’d prefer not to have to see that ugly robe again.” He accepted the gift, though he had no idea what it was supposed to be. It felt like a very lightweight rock.

“You would not be mistaken on the robe; that thing is a crime against humanity. I can see how it might have _some_ kind of appeal with a bonded pair looking to be naughty in the bedroom, but here? Meh. It’s just...” 

“Tawdry? It looks better on the girls,” Kane said.

The alpha’s brow furrowed as he watched him inspect the foil ball. “I thought you might like that for the next bath you took.”

“Um. Thank you? That was...very thoughtful of you?”

“You’re welcome,” Shepard tossed a shoulder and went back to his bag. “I’m the one who should be thanking you for helping me.” 

Kane peeled back a layer of the foil on the round object. He couldn’t imagine what he would do with a rock in the bathtub. “I spoke with Kahoku. He asked that I help you, so, whatever you need. Just let me know.”

Shepard glanced back up at him with a grin. “I’d certainly hope so since this was his idea.”

“He said he didn’t tell me beforehand because he wanted me to react naturally with you,” Kane said. There was a second layer of foil under the first. “I don’t mean to be rude, alpha, but...what _is_ this?”

“It’s a bath bomb,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“A _bomb_?” Kane exclaimed, his eyes widening. His grip on the thing shifted, loosening but caging it at the same time so that he didn’t risk dropping it. “Why the hell are we blowing up the bathtub?”

“We’re _not_ blowing up the bathtub,” the alpha replied with a strange look and a suppressed chuckle. “I’m pretty sure it’s mostly baking soda. You run the bath, toss it in there, and have fun. The shopkeeper said omegas enjoy them.”

“What’s it do?” he asked, tilting his head as he peeled back the second layer of foil. Underneath, it still looked like a rock, though an artificially colored one. Swirls of pink, blue, and purple peeked out from beneath the wrapper. It reminded him a little of the porous gray rock Maya kept in the showers for...something. He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to know what she did with it.

“It colors and scents the water. The worst it does is fizz. No explosions. The lady at the shop said that one was called ‘Galactic Berry’ or something like that. It’s supposed to make you smell nice or make your skin softer, or...I’m not quite sure. Oh...” Shepard’s brow furrowed again. “She also said there might be a ‘treasure’ inside it. What that means for only a couple credits, I don’t know.”

The back of Kane’s neck flushed with warmth. He glanced up at the alpha, suddenly feeling a shyness he hadn’t experienced since he was a child. 

“Thank you. I’ve never gotten a gift before. I mean, I remember having toys when I was little, so I suppose I did at some point, but not since...anyway. Treasure, huh? You didn’t have to. I don’t know what to do. My normal way of saying ‘thank you’ is...well, you don’t want it, so...thanks?”

“You’re welcome,” Shepard said with a half grin in place. “You didn’t have to agree to help me, so…well, a bath bomb really isn’t comparable, but I figured it would be a bit of a bright spot. Your smile looks much better on you than that atrocity of a robe.”

“Harkin makes us wear them,” he muttered. “I...thanks again, though. Maybe I can use it later if you don’t need me?”

“Need you…” the alpha’s brow furrowed deeper until comprehension struck. “Oh. _Oh_. The arrangement we had last time worked out, I think. Do you?” His neck flamed.

“I meant for questions or help with whatever you’re doing,” Kane clarified, carrying the bath bomb into the bathroom and placing it on the sink before coming back into the bedroom. “As for the other, whatever you’re comfortable with. I have no expectations.”

Shepard busied himself with pulling out his datapad. “I see. Well, really we can talk anywhere. If you want to take a bath, I can talk to you through the door. Basically, what I’ll be doing is surveillance and intel gathering. Boring to watch, I’m afraid.”

“What can you surveil and gather stuck in this room?” he asked. “You can’t see anything.”

“That’s not true. I see things when I walk to the room and from it, and I've tapped the security system, so I can see all of the public areas and hallways.”

“Yes, but anyone could see that. What will that tell you? If you’re here for abuses, you need to see into the other rooms or the dorms and infirmary after appointments, see what they allow the alphas to do to us. Or you need to see Harkin’s office when he pulls one of us in there. That’s where the beatings usually happen. No one wants to get called to his office. We need to figure out a way to get you to see _those_ things.”

Shepard settled in the chair and crossed his ankle over his knee, settling the datapad on his leg. “You can help me set up cameras for those, and I can interview you and get information. I can already see that you’ve recently had your nose broken. You’ve got some marks on your chest, if I remember correctly. I’d be willing to bet you got roughed up recently. A few of the other omegas I saw looked somewhat banged up, too. Whoever is cleaning you guys up is doing a good enough job to be able to hide it from those who don’t know what to look for, but there are still signs.”

Kane suppressed a shudder at the thought of Reeves. “A client said he was gonna fuck me with his knot.” 

The alpha glowered, his scent darkening. “Please tell me you’re not suggesting…”

“He was going to knot and continue fucking me jus’ like he’d done before he knotted,” Kane explained.

“That’s...the amount of physical _damage_ that would do is…. Why would anyone do that? It wouldn’t even feel good for the alpha,” Kellan said. “What the _fuck_ was he thinking?”

“I don’ ask alphas why they do what they do. I just didn’ let him get it in. He took me to Harkin. Harkin gave me to a friend of his with...particularly sadistic tastes. Reeves.” His hands balled into fists at his sides. “I thought he was gonna kill me. I thought that was why Harkin gave me to him. But he didn’t. Miranda patched me up. She said I needed a hospital, but Harkin won’t spend any more money on me. I don’t wanna get into more detail than that.”

“Okay. You don’t have to right now. Thank you for telling me that much,” the alpha said gently, writing a few notes down. “Do you know of anyone else who had the displeasure of meeting this guy the way you did?”

“Liam,” he said. “Last year. We didn’ hear much about it at the time, but after, he came an’ talked to me about it.”

“Did he say why he had to?”

“He bit an alpha who tried to knot his mouth,” Kane said with a shudder. “These alphas, they don’ care if they break us. Harkin doesn’, either, as long as he’s reimbursed. If he knows one’s good for what we’re worth, they get to do anything they want and there’s nothing we can do.”

Shepard’s scent darkened again. “That just…not practical. There’s not even enough muscle strength in a mouth to be able to put counter-pressure on the knot. He’d choke the omega and be in pain himself. What an idiot…” 

“Liam said he wanted to know what it was like to finish in someone’s mouth,” Kane said, sinking down onto the bed. 

“Maybe I can catch him later. Oh, to change the subject for a moment, after our last... _encounter_ , I guess, was anyone suspicious that we weren’t...intimate?”

“Um. Joker figured it out. I didn’t need medigel.”

The pen paused again. “Explain, please?”

Kane shrugged and flushed again. “I generally need medigel after an appointment. I didn’t that time. He figured it out.”

“...What areas generally need medigel after you’re finished with an appointment, if you don’t mind?”

It was Kane’s turn to blush furiously. “I, uh. My. Um. See, my first heat, I got paired with a virgin alpha and he...screwed up. It did some damage and, well. What the other alpha was trying to do to me? He did. Not as bad. It was accidental for him. He just didn’t know any better. Still, it screwed things up and I’ve had...difficulty. Since.” He raked his hands through his hair. “God, I didn’t know I could still get embarrassed.”

“You’ll get no judgement from me, Kane. Take your time if you need it. If you can’t answer something, we’ll come back to it later,” the alpha replied softly. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you when you’re with me, remember? I’m not going to hurt you.” He sighed. “Those pigs give all of us a bad name.”

“We...don’t always see the best in people here,” Kane said, trying for diplomacy. “When you advertise to indulge people’s most secret fantasies, you tend to see the dark sides of them rather than the good.”

“I mean, I’ve seen some things that stick with a person, but…shit. That’s messed up.” Shepard pursed his lips and concentrated on the datapad in front of him. “Where do y’all get your medigel from?”

“I don’t know. It’s in the infirmary, but I don’t know where they acquire it.”

“I’ll find out.” 

“Darner Vosque broke Richard Jenkins’ neck when I was still a teenager and no one did anything about it,” he blurted. “They blacklisted him, but he never got punished. Harkin seemed...he didn’t care. He was just irritated. Kaidan found the body and couldn’t go to his appointment, so I had to do it instead. Somebody just died and they made me fuck Donovan Hock. He punished me for Kaidan making him wait.”

The alpha in the chair clenched his jaw tight and kept typing. “I see…Vosque? And Hock? Alright. I wonder if it would be possible to catch this Kaidan in the hallway. He’s one of Hock’s regulars?”

“Yeah, Vosque. He hadn’t been here before, but Harkin said Jenkins was the third.” Kane fisted his hands in his hair and pressed the heels against his eyebrows, squeezing his eyes shut. “Jesus fucking Christ. They _knew_. They knew and they kept letting him do it. Harkin had to know there was at least a chance. He just didn’t care. Jenkins didn’t make him any money.”

“Hey…” Shepard glanced up at him, trying to catch his gaze. “Are you alright? Do you need to take a break? Get a snack off the bar over there. They set it up to be used, so you might as well use it.”

Kane scrubbed his hands over his face, willing the facade back into place. He straightened, cutting off the flow of emotion that threatened to drown him. “I’m fine. ‘M not hungry. Keep going. I can talk to Kaidan, see if he’d be willing to talk to you. But gossip spreads fast around here. Talk to too many people and everyone will know, then Harkin will hear and your cover will be blown.”

“Oh, I didn’t want to ask him anything. I just wanted to see him and see if I could pick out any damage on him. I can do that in the hall easily enough. I figure I’ll get most of the details from interviewing you.”

“Hock likes to backhand him across the mouth,” Kane said. “He’s got little scars all around his lips. And one of his other clients got too heavy with knife play once. He’s got a bigger one across his ribs. That’s all I know of. Nothing you’d see just passing him in the hall.”

Shepard went back to making notes. “Thanks. Does anyone else have any permanent marks like that you can think of?”

* * *

Kane paused at the door of the bathroom, looking back over his shoulder at the tall alpha. “No pressure, but are you sure you prefer the toy? I am right here.”

The alpha’s neck turned red and he wouldn’t meet Kane’s gaze. “I’m sure. Thank you for the offer, but…” He bit his lower lip and shook his head, toying with his rucksack. “I-I can’t. It wouldn’t be right. You enjoy your bath, okay?”

“I understand. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I won’t ask again. And yeah. Will do.” 

He closed the bathroom door behind him, feeling raw. Each meeting they had went deeper than the last. The payback for the invasive new-client questionnaire was turning out to be a real bitch. At least this time, Shepard had been able to build in a little time after the questions for Kane to pull himself back together. After the last one, he’d had to go straight back to work, feeling raw and vulnerable.

Shepard hadn’t been cruel about any of it thus far, but listing Harkin’s and the alphas’ offenses one after the other, remembering all of it that way, was hard. He could handle it when it was one thing at a time. Everything at once was too heavy for him to bear. He didn’t have a choice, though, so there was nothing to do but endure. 

Endure and find out what, exactly, a ‘bath bomb’ was. He hadn’t had time to use it before, but had brought it with him just in case. He ran the bathwater and stripped out of his clothes before carefully unwrapping the object. It seemed a little wasteful to receive a gift and then turn around and destroy it. He didn’t have much room left for sentiment, but he did hold onto certain things like his books from home. He’d debated keeping this, his first and likely only gift, but that wasted it in a different way. With a sigh, he dropped it into the water.

The small bubbles created by the jets immediately fizzed up and turned a multitude of colors that quickly melted into a dark purple. In spite of himself, his lips curled up into a little smile. He climbed into the fizzy water and stretched out, letting it soothe the tension from his muscles. Purple water. It had never occurred to him that people would dye water. It even _smelled_ purple if purple had a scent. 

He wasn’t entirely sure what a ‘galactic berry’ was. Berries were some sort of food, he thought, but not one he’d ever had. He let the colored water drift between his fingers and scooped up a clump of bubbles with his foot. It clung to the webbing between his big and first toes and tickled, so he dropped it into the water again. 

Something rolled under his heel and he felt around until he located a small, hard ball. He picked it up with his foot and plucked it out of the water, his head cocked in curiosity. A small, plastic ball had come out of the bath bomb, and he remembered Shepard saying something about a treasure. His smile widened. It was silly, but he’d never found any type of treasure before. He popped it open. A tiny silver monkey-like creature rested inside the ball. He carefully removed it and held it up to look at it. He had something to save after all. 

He hadn’t heard anything from the bedroom for several minutes, so he drained the tub and climbed out to show Shepard. His shirt stuck to his damp chest when he put it on, but he managed to yank it somewhat into place. It gaped at his midriff, leaving his hip bare, but he ignored it. Shepard was up and dressed, repacking his rucksack when Kane opened the door. 

“It’s a monkey, I think,” he said, holding out his palm with the charm lying on it.

The alpha did a small double-take at the bare skin, nostrils flared as he slid his gaze up to Kane’s hand. “Well, you definitely _smell_ like berries. I don’t know where the ‘galactic’ comes from, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.” 

“I think the colors and the silver glitter. I’m a little sparkly, too,” Kane said, rotating his arm so that it caught the light. He hadn’t noticed it until the water was drained and the bathtub glittered.

Shepard’s face was slowly losing the small flush of color it had and he wiped his forehead with his sleeve, zipping the bag shut. “Did you like it?” He took the charm out of Kane’s hand and inspected it before placing it back in the omega’s palm. “It’s a pyjak.”

Kane closed his hand around the trinket. “I did. Thank you. It was a spot of brightness in a rough day. That was...kind of you.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it,” Shepard replied. “It was the least I could do. Would you like another one? For next time, I mean.” He fiddled with the straps of his rucksack.

Kane bit his lip. “You don’t have to get me things, alpha. I don’t think anyone’s gonna listen to you or care what happens to us here, but on the chance it does make things better, I want to help. I don’t need you to bribe me or whatever. Don’t waste your money on me,” he said, partly in demure refusal to hopefully increase his standing with the alpha, and in part because Shepard had been kind to him and Kane didn’t want to take any more advantage of him than he had to in order to get the hell out of here.

“I know I don’t _have_ to. I would like to. It’s not a bribe, and I don’t consider it a waste, either, especially if you get a bit of enjoyment out of it. You have a difficult life and there’s very little I can do about this. I’d like to try to make it a little better.”

“It did. Thank you. I just don’t want you to spend a lot.” He raked a hand through his hair, feeling a twinge of something he thought might be conscience. Shepard really was a nice alpha. Like Kahoku but sweeter. “I don’t know how much things cost. I know I’m expensive because Harkin says I’m worth millions and talks about how much he can get for my time, but I don’t know how it relates to things on the outside. So when you ask if I want another, I don’t know if you’re asking if I want something that you can do easily or if it’s taking food out of your mouth to do it or...I don’t know. I’ve never had to use money before. I don’t know how to answer that.”

Shepard chuckled and slid the bag over his shoulder. “Yes or no is fine. It’s not gonna break my bank; they’re tiny luxury items. They’re specifically made to be affordable for everyday people to feel pampered. So don’t feel bad about it. They have different...varieties, I suppose you’d call it. I can try to find something different if you didn’t like the berry.”

Kane chuckled self-consciously. “Then...yes, please. Maybe a different one, though. That was...a little sweet? Smells like something Maya would wear. Cloying? But I liked the colors and the pyjak. I’ll put it with my book. Thank you, alpha. Kellan, I mean.”

The alpha got a considering look on his face. “You’re welcome. I’ll see what I can do for next time. Until then.”

“See you,” Kane said. 

He had another appointment directly after Shepard’s, so he tugged the damp shirt off and climbed into the shower to make sure that none of the first alpha’s scent lingered on him for the second before going to the Glass Room for his next client. Copeland was becoming a regular, and thankfully wasn’t as big an ass as most. When the man slid his arms around him and nipped down his neck, Kane closed his eyes and leaned into it, savoring the simple human contact when he still felt so exposed. The alpha’s scent was dull and did nothing for him, but Copeland didn’t hurt him and that was something, at least. He wondered what it would be like if it was Shepard instead.


	14. Chapter 14

“Vetra. Hey, Vetra,” Kane whispered, coming up to the lanky omega. “I’m trying to find something.” 

Vetra turned to face him, her white-blonde hair sticking up in shaggy spikes around her head. “You’ve come to the right place, then. What can I do for you, Ryder?”

“I need a gift,” he said. “Nothing big, just _something_ , y’know?” 

He was starting to feel strange about taking things from Shepard without any reciprocation. Over the past several weeks, he’d gone from having nothing but a book squirreled away in the false bottom of his top drawer to having trinkets and interesting pebbles and shells rattling enough that he’d had to put them in a sock so no one found them if they came looking. His collection was small, but they were all things that were _his_. He wouldn’t risk Maya getting to them the way she’d gotten his Lemony Snicket book. 

It was one thing to accept gifts from clients like Maya or Vega often did, though, and another when it was Shepard. He wouldn’t feel guilty if Kahoku gave him something a little extra. Those were clients. It was just a bonus. But from Shepard, it was different. Little things they might be, but he’d done nothing for them and he had no way to do anything in return. Every time Shepard came, no matter how bad the session with him was, there was always something at the end to make him smile. Kane just dumped misery on him. 

“Hm,” Vetra said, tapping a fingertip against her lips. “What kind of ‘something’? Candy? Food? A stuffed animal? Soap? A knick knack?”

Kane chewed his lip and tried to look more casual than he felt. “Not candy or food. Something that somebody could look at, I think. Something happy.”

Vetra snorted indelicately. “Happiness is one thing even _I_ don’t have, Ryder.”

“You know what I mean,” he said. “Come on. You must have something.”

“I might. Come with me.” 

She led him down the hall into the cell she shared with Sid and slid a ceiling tile out of the way. From the darkened space above, she withdrew a small box and placed it on the bed. After a moment, she tossed him a small, clear disc. He caught it in the air and examined it. It was just larger than his thumb with a slightly concave surface under which a tiny carving of a wolf’s head was cast. 

Kane grinned. “Perfect. What is it?”

“It’s a worry stone. You rub it and it gives you something to fiddle with,” she said. “What have you got for me?”

Kane considered. He didn’t want to give up any of his gifts from Shepard. He wouldn’t give up his book. That didn’t leave him with much. His clothing wouldn’t fit her. “Two days’ rations?” he suggested.

“That’s handmade, Kane,” she said. “Make it three.”

“Deal.”

“You’re boring to barter with. I’d have taken two and a half,” she said, snapping the box closed.

* * *

Kane sat on the edge of the bed, his foot bouncing against the floor, as he waited for Shepard. His gift was heavy in his pocket even though it weighed next to nothing. He hoped the alpha liked it. He hadn’t been able to see him in more than a week because he’d been in heat and had spent it with a scrawny alpha with more endurance than skill. He’d never avoided the morning-after meds again after the forced abortion, so there had been a few days afterward where he was indisposed. He was back in the rotation now, though, and Shepard was the first up. 

He stood when the alpha entered the room, glad to see a friendly face.

“Hey,” Shepard said, sliding his rucksack off his shoulder and handing him another bath bomb. “This one’s called ‘Citrus Grove’. How’ve you been? Are you alright?” 

“Thank you. I don’t know what citrus is, but it sounds really good,” Kane said with a little grin. “I got you something, too.” He fished the worry stone from his pocket and held it out to the alpha.

“What’s this?” The alpha’s brow furrowed as he took it and inspected it. “Wow… that’s pretty. Where did you get it?” He ran his thumb over the wolf’s head, playing with the ridges.

“Vetra,” he said. “She’s our resident smuggler. She can get almost anything you want. For a price, at least. It’s how she stays sane. Do you really like it? I just...wanted to give you something pleasant for a change. Make you smile a little.”

“I really do like it,” Shepard replied, neck flushing. “That’s the first time anyone’s given me a gift in a long time. Thank you, Kane.” He tucked it in his pocket, still playing with it.

“You don’t have family? Or...a mate or...someone?” Kane asked hesitantly. He’d answered a shit ton of questions from the alpha, but still knew next to nothing about the man.

“Just my mother, but she’s military as well and I only hear from her once or twice a year,” the alpha replied mildly. “The Alliance is my life.” He settled into the chair and pulled out the notebook, propping it in the usual fashion on his leg.

Kane absorbed that. He hadn’t thought of the alphas they met being alone. “You have friends, though, right? Do none of them ever get you anything?”

The large man bit his lower lip, sinking into thought. “A round of beer every once in awhile, sure. Most of us aren’t in the same units, though, so we get deployed separately. The last time we got together was…six months ago? Eight? I’m not sure.” He blinked and shook himself out of his reverie. “Why do you ask?”

That sounded lonely. Kane at least had Joker, and he and Vega saw eye-to-eye on most things. He got along well enough with Kaidan and Sam and Vetra. He liked Sid. As much as he tried to claim to be an island, Kane did have friends. He couldn’t imagine being utterly alone in the world. 

“Curious,” he said, picking at the bedspread. “You know a lot about me now. Pretty much everything there is to know.”

“No, that can’t be true,” Shepard teased, cocking his head to the side and grinned. “There’s plenty left to quiz you on.”

“There really isn’t,” he said with a shrug of a shoulder. “I was adopted by a beta couple. They wanted a beta kid. When they found out I wasn’t, they sold me here. I had a shitty first heat. It’s pretty much been shit since. You know I like to read. I like history. I did well in school, but I don’t know if that means anything because I’m not sure of the quality of the education we got. You know who my friends are here, who my enemies are. There’s not much else to me. I fuck. It’s what I do. I haven’t left these walls except to fail at running away since I was six. I don’t even know what I don’t know.”

The alpha cocked his head to the side, looking at Kane with the considering look again. “Favorite food?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “We only get bland shit. Pasta? I can tell you if I never have oatmeal again, it’ll be too soon.”

“Yeah, I’m with you on the oatmeal. Can you get food ordered in if a client asks for it?”

“Clients get anything they want,” he answered. 

Shepard’s scent darkened at that, but he let it pass. Kane settled back on the bed for another round of questioning. Sam had tried to jump off the roof during his heat. He hadn’t seen it because he was occupied, but he’d heard about it after. She was alive but injured. In a way, Kane thought she had it the worst of all of them because her natural attraction was to other omegas. Alphas and betas turned her off. Harkin didn’t care. 

“Speaking of which,” he continued, “I just had my sixth heat in as many months and Sam tried to kill herself.”

* * *

“Where are you from?” Kane asked Shepard a few weeks later. “You don’t talk like anyone I’ve ever met before.”

“Everywhere and nowhere. Space stations. Spaceships. I don’t really have a home,” Shepard said, glancing up at him.

“You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you…” He discreetly scented the air, searching for more detailed clues to the alpha’s mental state. “...Sad? Lonely?” 

“It’s ok. It’s only fair, I suppose, given everything you’ve told me.” He sighed and shifted in the chair. “My mother and father were both military. My father disappeared when I was a teenager. He went away on deployment and never came home. No body, no tags. We weren’t told where he’d been sent or what happened to him, just that he wasn’t coming back, and we never saw him again. I don’t know if he abandoned us or if whatever happened was so bad that there was nothing left to bring home.”

“God, Kellan,” Kane breathed. 

He’d never experienced the scent coming off of the alpha, but the sympathetic response the pheromones triggered felt like distress. He reacted instinctively, reaching out and putting a hand on his knee, driven by the urge to comfort him. 

“That had to be...I can’t even imagine. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you go back there.”

Kellan’s scent smoothed out and he moved his knee closer to Kane. “It’s alright. It was years ago. We’ve both had tough stories, but you’re still living yours. That you’ve survived this long speaks volumes.”

Kane slid his hand further up Shepard’s thigh, unconsciously massaging the dense muscle. Kane had always been careful not to touch him since he’d turned him down, but this wasn’t about sex. Shepard was hurting. Kane had never seen a hurt alpha before. 

He asked, “Can something like that ever truly be gone, though? I don’t think it will for me. You’ve survived, too. Just because yours is different doesn’t make it any less important.”

The alpha’s eyes drifted closed a moment then flickered back open, sighing deeply. “Maybe not, but distance helps add perspective. And lessens the initial hurt.” 

He shifted in the chair again, dropping the datapad on the floor next to his chair and tucking the pen behind his ear. His scent further mellowed as he slouched a bit in the chair, his typical ramrod posture easing. 

“There’s a lot of distance between what happened to me and now. There’s much less distance between you and yours. That makes yours more of a priority.”

Kane kept his touch soothing, his hand sliding up and down the alpha’s leg. He leaned closer, placing the other on Shepard’s knee. “I can still be here if you need someone to talk to. No one should have to be alone.”

“I will keep that in mind. Thanks, Kane.” Kellan blinked languidly at him, relaxing further into the chair. “I can’t remember the last time anybody actually did anything like this just for the sake of comforting me.”

Kane bit his lip and slipped off of the bed to kneel on the floor beside Shepard. The alpha still didn’t want sex from him, but he seemed to be enjoying his touch. That was something he could do for him, to make him feel good. He’d forgotten at some point that he was trying to manipulate Shepard. He’d never been very good at it anyway. He just wanted to comfort the man. His hands stroked up the outside of the alpha’s thighs and down the backs of his calves, working the muscle. 

“Relax, alpha,” he said, hesitantly resting his cheek against the man’s knee and looking up at him. “It’s alright.” 

Shepard slowly let out another sigh, gazing at the omega though heavy-lidded eyes. “What is?” he asked quietly after a moment.

“Everything,” he said simply, gently tugging off Shepard’s shoes and stroking back up his calves. “Jus’ let go for a few minutes.”

The alpha pursed his lips a moment as he sighed again, closed his eyes, and curled his toes under his feet. They slowly relaxed as Kane worked the muscle on his legs. His left leg twitched as the omega reached closer to his knees. 

“Sorry,” he whispered. “That one’s a little tender. I took a batarian shotgun point-blank to it a few years back and had to have it rebuilt.”

“Does it hurt? Lemme know if I do somethin’ uncomfortable,” he said, softening his touch around the joint but seeking out points of tension around it.

“Mm. It doesn’t hurt most of the time. It’s just...unpleasant. But not now.” His chin dropped to his chest, breath evening out. “You’re going to put me to sleep if you keep doing that. It feels too good.”

Kane didn’t need a clock to judge time anymore. He continued his ministrations, settling more comfortably at the alpha’s feet. “You’ve still got half an hour if you would like to rest for a bit,” he told him. “But you’d probably be more comfortable on the bed. I can give you a proper rubdown. No sex, just making you feel good.”

One dark gray eye cracked open. “Not to be rude, but why? I’m paying for the room and your time. I don’t want you to feel obligated to do something you don’t want to. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the offer. I’m just… confused by it?”

Kane lifted a shoulder. “You’ve been kind to me. You’ve done nice things for me without expecting anything in return. Why can’t I do something nice for you, too?” Thinking of Sha’ira, he added, “Give you a few moments of peace.”

“Yeah, but… this is supposed to give you a break from it, too. I’m working; you don’t have to right now.” The alpha wiggled his toes as his brow furrowed in thought.

“You’re worried I’ll feel pushed to do something I don’t want to do, right? That you’ll take my choice away whether you mean to or not?” he asked. He wouldn’t have thought anyone but Kahoku would ever be concerned about that, but the alpha had brought it up more than once.

“Mmm,” Shepard grunted in what Kane took as confirmation.

Kane chewed his lip for a moment, trying to think through his phrasing. “So...if I can’t choose not to, that takes my choice away. But doesn’t it also follow that it does the same thing if you tell me I can’t choose _to_ do something? If I can’t refuse an’ I can’t offer, then you’re just sayin’ I don’t have the power to know my own mind and decide what I do and don’t want and that you know what’s best for me better’n I do. Doesn’t that kinda defeat the purpose of...giving me agency or whatever it is you’re trying to do?”

The alpha blinked again, processing it. “I… suppose ultimately yes. I just…you’re not under any obligation to ‘pleasure’ me. If you’re offering because you want to, okay. If you’re offering because you think you’re supposed to, then the answer is no.” He raised an eyebrow. “I think you know your own mind and what you do and don’t want to do. It simply reassures me, I suppose, to say out loud that you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“It’s a backrub, Kellan,” Kane said flatly. “You’re overthinking it. I’m just offering to rub the knots out of you.” He smirked. “Well, all but one.”

The large man burst into bright peals of surprised laughter, shoulders shaking. “ _Oh_ my…” he chortled, standing up and rotating his back to stretch before slinking face-down onto the bed, arms folded under his cheek. “...That’s what _he_ said?”

“Who?” Kane asked, moving onto the bed with him and smoothing his hands over the other man’s back and plucking at his shirt. “You might want this off. Up to you.”

“Ah…it’s a joke.” He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on top of his bag, folding his arms under his cheek again. Kane’s mouth went dry at the sight of his broadly muscled back. He rummaged in the drawer beside the bed as Shepard continued explaining. “Unspecified ‘he’ or ‘she’ attributed to an inadvertently or deliberately dirty phrase to make it funny. ‘That’s huge, how’s it gonna fit? That’s what she said.’ ‘My ass is so sore from yesterday. That’s what he said.’” He glanced over his shoulder at Kane, gray eyes sparkling with humor. “‘...I’m just offering to rub the knots out of you. That’s what he said.’”

Kane opened the cap on the massage oil he’d retrieved and poured the liquid into his hands, rubbing them together to warm it. He hadn’t considered the idea that there was a whole world out there with jokes that they tacitly understood to be funny which Kane had never heard. He considered this while he spread the oil over Shepard’s back and shoulders. His eyes roamed over the alpha’s warm, bared skin. 

“I see, said the blind man,” he said absently, leaning closer but careful not to loom over him.

“Mm…” came the faint hum as Shepard settled under him, resting his cheek on his arms and eyes closing again. “Feels good…”


	15. Chapter 15

Kane sat beside Shepard on the bed again. His hands followed the ridges alongside his spine, working the tense muscle until it was smooth under his palms, then moved up to his shoulders. They’d developed a routine over the last few weeks. Kane would apprise Shepard of anything new that had occured. Shepard would ask questions of him, then he allowed Kane to ask anything he wanted to know about Shepard while Kane gave him a rubdown. They would finish the visit with Kane going into the bathroom while Shepard made sure the room smelled right. So far, no one had questioned what they were doing in here and Kane appreciated the routine. 

He cupped his hands over Kellan’s shoulders and slid his thumbs along the sides of his neck. The large man’s eyes went almost dazed as his nostrils flared and he ever-so-slightly leaned to one side, his nose searching out Kane’s wrist. Kane bit his lip and shyly turned his hand toward the alpha, presenting the scent gland buried near the blood vessel. 

He was accustomed to being scented during a heat, but generally around his throat. The _intimacy_ of it there and outside of sex made his tummy flutter. The alpha’s large hand reached back and encircled Kane’s forearm, drawing his wrist closer. His breath caught, but for once it wasn’t from fear, and he let his hand be moved.

“Uh… thanks,” Kellan said distractedly, blinking and rubbing his cheek on Kane’s wrist, stubble softly scratching his skin. Kane’s tummy flipped again, warmth stirring in him. Shepard’s neck flushed and his scent thickened, threads of desire, hope, and skepticism warring through it all. 

Kane’s smile widened a little more. The alpha shivered and he reluctantly let go of Kane’s wrist, glancing back over his shoulder at him again. Delicate wisps of shyness floated through his scent now. 

“You’re such a tiny little thing perched on me like that.”

“‘M not _that_ little,” Kane said, trailing his hands back to resume massaging Shepard’s shoulders. “Big enough they thought I was a beta when I was a kid. You’re just huge.”

“So, to my eyes, you’re tiny. Yes? _”_ the large man chuckled, gently teasing him. 

Kane flushed and lightly poked his shoulder. “You sure you’re not part krogan?” he teased back.

“Last I checked, I don’t have four balls,” Kellan huffed an amused laugh, shoulder twitching at the poke as if he was ticklish. “Or platin’ around my head and back. Though jury’s out on the stubby little tail.” He wiggled his ass under Kane for punctuation.

Kane giggled, clapping his hands over his mouth and his eyes widening. “‘M sorry!” he exclaimed. “Not laughing at you, I promise!”

The alpha shifted his weight onto his side, gently dislodging Kane to look at him. “No harm done. Wouldn’t have made the joke if I didn’t want you to laugh. I take it that’s not a typical thing here?”

“Laughing?” Kane asked, placing his hands on his own thighs. “Or laughing with alphas? Either one, really, has the same answer, I guess. Alphas don’t like being laughed at. And there’s not usually anything to laugh at around here.”

Kellan tipped his head to the side, gazing at him. His scent took on a pensive air. “Door number two, I suppose is what I was referring to. And you’re right; there seems to be a fine line with alphas. I don’t mind being teased as long as it’s good-natured, and I think I am pretty good about saying something if my feelings are hurt or my pride’s bruised.”

Kane bit his lip and absently traced a thoughtless pattern on Shepard’s hip. “Better not to laugh,” he said quietly. “Then nobody gets mad.”

“But I _like_ hearin’ you laugh,” the alpha replied, pillowing his head on his arm folded up. “I don’t mind you teasing me. I like that, too.”

“I don’t want to upset you or hurt your feelings,” Kane said meekly, tracing the edge of Shepard’s jeans pocket. “I really don’t want you to get mad at me, and I don’t know what you’ll think is funny and what you won’t.”

Kellan blinked, shifting a little closer to him. “I think there’s very little you could do that would get me upset with you, or hurt my feelings. I’m a big boy. I can handle it,” he teased again. “I’d rather you feel comfortable enough to take the chance and try it instead of assuming it’ll piss me off. I’m not going to hurt you. Promise. If I’m not in the mood, I’ll let you know. Deal?”

“Okay,” Kane nodded, smoothing his hand over the alpha’s hip and smiling again. “You’re the weirdest alpha I’ve ever met.”

The alpha’s eyes sparkled as he laughed, shaking the whole bed. “Now, that, I’ll take as a compliment.” He reached out and straightened a lock of Kane’s hair that fell on his forehead.

It was Kane’s turn for glazed eyes and flared nostrils as the alpha’s scent wrapped around him like a warm blanket. He found himself turning into the touch and nuzzling into Shepard’s hand. His lips brushed over the soft skin at the base of the other man’s hand before he remembered that Kellan didn’t want him in that way. He shifted, his jeans suddenly too tight, and drew back, blinking dazedly at the alpha. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered breathlessly.

Warm spice of desire spiked through the air, and Kellan brushed a thumb over the omega’s flushed cheek. “Fucking ethics,” he whispered. “I’m not. I don’t think you should be, either.”

Kane leaned into his hand, fingers tightening on his hip. Shepard had used that word before. Kane thought it meant something like ‘morals,’ but words like that weren’t part of the vernacular in a whorehouse. He was afraid it meant that Shepard thought he was a bad person, and the alpha wouldn’t entirely be wrong if he did. It wasn’t his fault he was an omega or that he’d gotten sold into this, though. He was just trying to survive. 

Kane knew that the betas looked down on omegas in the mating centers, and he was well aware of the way the alphas thought of them. It stung a little to think that Shepard saw him the same way. Kellan welcomed his touch to a point, but as soon as it came to anything he could be judged for, he pushed him away and cited ‘ethics’ like Kane was trying to get him to do something wrong. 

But now Kane was thoroughly confused. He thought Shepard wanted him, but he’d never known an alpha not to take what he wanted. Perhaps Kellan was embarrassed about it because of what Kane was. Center omegas weren’t bondmate material and Kellan wasn’t the type to go for someone like him.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” he admitted softly. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Kellan asked, equally soft. He tucked another lock of Kane’s hair back. 

“This,” he said. “Anything, really. I don’t know how to give you what you desire because I don’t know what it is.”

“You’re doing everything I want you to, above and beyond. I just wish my hands weren’t tied as much as they are.” He sighed. “What I _want_ and what I am able to _do_ about it are at conflict with one another. Does… does that make sense at all?”

“Not really,” Kane chuckled with a shrug. “I just...I don’t get to choose anything in my life. I don’t want to do something that takes yours away. You don’t want things that seem normal to me. I’m afraid of accidentally crossing that line.”

“You’re a sweetheart, Kane.” The alpha’s thumb brushed over his cheek again. “It’s not a question of me _wanting_ what you’re offering. That’s pretty apparent, I think.” His neck flushed and his scent thickened. “I’m not able to _act_ on it because I’m working. It’d be different if it was on my own time. My time is not my own right now. So it’s not that I don’t _want_ to. It’s that I _shouldn’t_. That’s the ethical quandary I’m in.”

“I don’t know what that means. Ethics. But I don’t see why you can’t have something you paid for just because you’re working.” Kane scratched the buzzed side of his own head. “Kahoku’s your boss, right? And I _know_ he knows what I am. Why would he tell you to buy me and not do anything with me? He hasn’t said anything to _me_ about what we do.”

Kellan’s face went carefully blank at the mention of the older alpha, traces of acrid possessiveness bleeding through the air. “That’s a bit different. He is not here on a job, he’s here on his own time and of his own volition. I was ordered to infiltrate and gather intel, secure contacts and an informant. I have certain freedoms in which to do my job and get what I need accomplished, but…” 

Shepard sighed again. “I wasn’t expecting to get more than a professional relationship out of it, either. And that’s what makes this such a fine line. Ethics, in other words. Rules of engagement while on a job. It’s a matter of propriety. It’s not ethical for me to get physical with my informant, even if that’s what I _want_ to do. The _want_ is not in question.” His smoky eyes searched Kane’s. “Does that make more sense now?”

“You don’t piss where you eat,” he said, quoting Harkin with a disappointed smile. “I understand.” He drew his hand back and chewed the inside of his lip. 

Wasn’t that just the story of his life? The one alpha he thought he might want was untouchable. It didn’t matter what he called it. ‘Off-limits’ was what it meant. Shepard was here for a job. He was no more available to Kane than Kahoku was, or than Maya would ever be to her admirers who wanted to bond with her and keep her for themselves. They were worlds apart in more ways than one. Shepard might be able to help him out of this place, but he doubted it, and there was no chance of Kellan being the one who could help him take over. A resounding clang in the back of his mind signaled another door slamming shut. He glanced away, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Kellan’s face darkened, his hand cupping the omega’s cheek and drawing his their foreheads together. “That’s not how I would put it. The question _now_ becomes once I’m finally off the job…would you still be interested? I get it if you’re not; I’m a soldier. I’m deployed a lot. It’s not ideal.”

Kane’s fingers slid into the alpha’s belt loop, his heart kicking in his chest. “I’ll still be what I am. I can’t...alphas don’t share. Not...not when they care, at least. And I can’t ever leave here. If this doesn’t work...I’m out of options.” 

Disappointment soured the air. “I suppose it’s not a typical thing to find a date in a center. I’ll talk to Kahoku, see if I can make it conditional that at the end of the mission, your contract gets bought out. This mission would be dead in the water if not for you. There _has_ to be some kind of civilian award or compensation to be had for this level of participation. Huh…” The alpha’s scent flowed from disappointed to considering as he talked, shifting next to Kane. “Or…I might be able to work it so your contract is bought and you move into either intel or counter-intel for the Alliance. That has some potential…”

 _Oh, sweet summer child,_ Kane thought. For all of the alpha’s experience, he really didn’t understand the way Kane’s world worked. Kane hesitantly slid his hand along Shepard’s jaw and nuzzled his forehead, giving him a tender smile. 

“I don’t have a contract. Harkin doesn’t own my services. I don’t work for him. He owns _me_. Like…” he cast around for a comparison from the vids he’d seen. “Have you ever had a dog or cat? Or a horse?”

“Not personally, but I get it.” Kellan nuzzled him back. “That means that you’re property. And sometimes property is bought and sold. A friend’s mom breeds show dogs. They buy and sell all the time.”

Kane nodded without moving his forehead away. His thumb brushed over the alpha’s cheek. “But they don’t sell their best ones, do they? The ones that make the best babies or most money or whatever. Maya and I are like the prize show horses in this...stable. Other people get to pay to ride us, but we’re not going anywhere as long as we make him money. And I may not know much about money, but I can do math. One of the things in that datapad from Harkin’s office is an inventory. I’m worth more than the building we’re in. He’d sell it before he’d sell me. Unless I piss him off bad enough, or he decides that value’s not right anymore. He threatens sometimes, but after seeing that, I think it’s a scare tactic.”

“Huh. That… wow.” The alpha blinked languidly, leaning into Kane’s hand. “Well, that still doesn’t mean I won’t ask Kahoku if something can be done. Whether it’s a matter of buying a contract or you yourself, it’s still a question of money. And the Alliance might be willing to foot the bill if they think they can get a usable agent in the field.”

“The Alliance squabbles over thousands of credits,” Kane said skeptically. “I don’t think they’d be willing to spend millions on one person. It’s...really sweet that you’d try, though. No one else ever has.” 

His eyes flickered between Kellan’s gray ones and his mouth. Before he could lose his courage, he closed the distance, quickly brushing their lips together and pulling back with heat warming his cheeks. The only other alpha he’d ever kissed was the infiltrator whose name he couldn’t remember whom he’d tried to scare with his biotics, and that had been as a distraction. It didn’t count. 

“That wasn’t...I didn’t mean it in a...I don’t want to get you in trouble. I just...wanted to say thank you,” he stammered.

“I’ll be able to say ‘you’re welcome’ after we get you out of here,” the alpha whispered, fingers tightening on the back of Kane’s neck as he brushed his thumb over his cheek. “Properly.” He glanced at his omni-tool. “It, uh...time’s almost up.”

Kane wanted to warn Kellan about how dangerous hope and dreams were in a place like this. Things didn’t work that way in the centers. He’d spent years trying to escape and had only succeeded in tightening the chains around himself. There was only one way that Kane might be able to get a semblance of freedom, and Kellan couldn’t have nearly the resources to accomplish it. Kahoku didn’t, and Kellan worked for Kahoku. If Shepard had more power, then he’d be the boss. What Shepard imagined was a pipe dream, and Kane shied away from it the same way he’d learned to shy away from the promises alphas made in rut. Believing them only brought pain.

He released Shepard’s cheek and drew back, wordlessly sliding off of the bed and going into the bathroom. Before he closed the door, he let his eyes travel sadly over the alpha. Some omega was going to be very lucky someday. He closed the door and slumped against it. Unfortunately, that omega wouldn’t be him. The thud of a fist hitting wood came from the other room, mixed with the acrid scent of frustrated, disappointed alpha. 

His feelings exactly.

* * *

“Hey, Princess.” Harkin’s voice brought Kane up short outside of the kitchen. “You fucked up.”

“How so, Alpha?” he asked, keeping his expression neutral even as his heart pounded in his chest. Had Harkin found out about the real purpose behind his meetings with Kellan? 

“You scheduled what was supposed to be a _weekend_ with Donovan Hock on Bekenstein for you and Maya to a _half hour_ here in the Gray Room with Maya and Vega, and then you set her up with Councilor _Udina_ and you with Kahoku, which means _I can’t fix it_. Now, he’s pitching a fit and Aethyta is setting him up with _Sha’ira_ at the last minute, which means he’s paying out the ass for it. Do you have any idea how much money you cost me? I could have paid the staff for a _year_ for what you would have made in a weekend. I told you what was going to happen next time you lost me money, didn’t I?”

Kane’s eyes widened. “Alpha, I didn’t do that. I haven’t spoken to Donovan Hock. Or the councilor. And I don’t have another appointment set with Kahoku yet. Maya must have—”

“Bullshit,” Harkin sneered. “Maya would cut her own goddamn arm off to go to Bekenstein, especially with Donovan fucking Hock. The connections she’d make there would keep her in gifts for years to come. Hell, she’d probably make enough after that to buy her freedom and I wouldn’t be able to afford to turn her down.”

“I swear to you, alpha, check the logs. It wasn’t me!”

“Lucky for me, it just so happens, I got an offer from the batarians just this week. My new ads must have made it onto the extranet. Better for you, really. You think that big alpha you get all slicked up over when he comes in the door is gonna stick around? You think you found your prince? Nah. An alpha that desirable’s gonna find himself a bondmate in the outside world soon enough. God knows he’s got his pick. He’ll disappear and then where will you be? Still here. It’s a kindness, really, to sell you off. Mopey omegas don’t make money.” 

The blood drained from Kane’s face and he swayed. “You’re lying,” he breathed. 

Harkin’s smile was cruel. “Two million credits. Nowhere near enough. Yet. They’ll go up. That was just the first offer. Batarians do like to bargain. And as soon as they hit the sweet spot...you’re vorcha bait, Princess.” The alpha spun on his heel and stalked off, satisfaction lacing his sour odor.

Kane turned and ran to the bathroom, pushing past Maya who stood smugly in the doorway, his lunch barely making it into the toilet. Kellan. He needed to talk to Kellan. But how was he supposed to tell the alpha that Harkin was selling off the only friend he had left? 

Kane couldn’t think of anything more utterly terrifying than vorcha. _Vorcha_. With their spiky faces and their cruel eyes and cadaverous noses, their dead-flesh skin stretched over wiry muscle, and the mouth full of orange, razor sharp _teeth_. Teeth that could do so much _damage_ to soft, sensitive human flesh. He’d heard they ate people alive, feasted on their skin and muscle, sucked the marrow out of their bones. The thought of those horrible fangs near his belly or his groin, ripping, tearing, slobbering—he wretched again, cold sweat trickling down his back, his lungs and throat closing, his fingers clawing at his neck. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t _breathe!_

“Kane! Calm down!” Soft hands encircled his wrists, firmly pulling them away. Samantha’s concerned face appeared in his line of sight, her brows knit together. “Easy. You’re alright. You’re safe,” she soothed.

Kane gripped her hands, his eyes wild, and fought to drag sips of air through a throat squeezed tight. Nothing was alright. He would never be safe again. How was he going to tell Kellan? Kellan couldn’t save him. No one could save him. 


	16. Chapter 16

Kellan ignored the niggling thoughts in his head as he removed his shirt and laid face-down on the bed, his and Kane’s briefing done for the session. He’d explained to the omega about ethics already, but he wasn’t exactly sure if this qualified as an ethics breach. He rationalized it as acceptable in the eyes of the mission because they _did_ talk during it, and he’d gotten some useful info out of it. Kane seemed to be more comfortable and easier to open up when he was doing something for him. 

It must have satisfied the instinct to do his _job_ , Kellan thought, trying to tamp down the bitterness. Nobody should have to be forced into this. This wasn’t prostitution; this was slavery. Kahoku had either glossed over that little fact or he just didn’t know.

Kane swept smooth hands up Shepard’s back and moved up to the back of his neck. The omega hesitated when he reached the nape of Kellan’s neck, cautiously fingering the skin. “What’s this?”

“What’s what?” he sighed in pleasure, keeping his shoulders rolled forward in order to give the omega easy access to them.

Kane traced one faded scar before indulging him by returning to his shoulders. “The scars. And that...I donno what it is. On the back of your neck just under your skull.”

“Ah. I’m biotic.” He stilled himself under Kane’s hands. “They’re from when I got my amp placed.”

Kane leaned over, examining it with interest. The citrus scent of his curiosity mixed with his bright chatter. “Me, too. But I don’t have one of those. What’s it do? Did it hurt? I can make myself glow, but we’re not allowed to. Harkin’s afraid we’ll hurt one of the clients. I don’t think we would, though. Kaidan broke his own arm once, but that’s the only one who’s gotten hurt ‘cause of them.”

“It amplifies the strength of my biotics, such as they are. I’m not a strong one, though. It’s almost not worth having, but it was required for joining the Alliance. As for pain, I wasn’t conscious when it was placed. The recovery wasn’t terrible.” Tension was leaking out of his shoulders as Kane worked his muscles. “How did you figure you were biotic? Did you flare or something?”

“The same doctor who told my adoptive parents I was an omega told us. Nowadays, they might’ve gotten more money for me because of it. Back then, though, everybody was still just scared.”

“Huh…would you ever _want_ to get an amp?” he asked. “And people are still scared of them _now._ There’s a lot that’s still not known or understood about them.”

“I donno,” Kane said skeptically, his scent subdued and suddenly troubled. “That looks like it hurts. I don’t know what it’s like, so how would I know if I wanted one? I haven’t had anybody scared of me in a long time, but I’ve had guys who could feel it? I guess? Who tried to make them come up. I don’t like that. I’m kinda afraid I’ll break something like Kaidan did.”

“Ah…” Kellan exhaled, slow and soft, eyes closed as he continued to settle under Kane’s hands. “The scars themselves don’t hurt. And you’d get training so you didn’t hurt yourself. How’d he break his arm?”

“I don’t know how he did it. I wasn’t here yet. He’s a lot older’n me.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “As to the other, better not to think about it. Just makes me sad to think about it now.”

“Sounds awful…” Kellan murmured, eyes half-opened again and staring blankly into space. “The Alliance gave me the amp, like I said. I was 17. It was part of my recruitment deal. They didn’t realize before they placed it that I didn’t spike high enough to make it worth the money. I can lift just enough to be somewhat helpful to me day-to-day and same with a throw, but that’s about my limit. It’s not combat-worthy.”

Kane absently traced another scar, careful not to touch too close to the amp. Stress crept through his scent like spiky tendrils. Kellan had to strain to hear as he said shakily, “I won’t ever get an amp. I’ll get a control chip. Harkin’s gonna sell me to the batarians.”

Kellan felt his blood run cold when Kane said the dreaded word and he froze, unable to move. His muscles sang with tension. “...Has he done that with others that you know of?” His voice sounded flat even to his ears. Rage boiled in his stomach. 

Kane scooted closer, flattening his palms on Shepard’s back. “I don’t know. People disappear sometimes. We don’t know where they go or why. Miranda believes him when he threatens it, though. He said he would if I cost him any more money. And he told me yesterday. He got an offer from them. He’s negotiating. When they give him a number he likes, I’m gone. The batarians and the...the _vorcha_.” Terror spiked through the omega on the last word, caustic and hopeless, the scent of a helpless civilian unprepared for the painful death staring them in the face.

Kellan’s muscles rippled as he pushed himself up on his elbows, looking at Kane. He pursed his lips, trying to keep his face blank so he didn’t alarm the already frightened omega, but the taut cords in his neck belied his anger. “Do you think Harkin has records or receipts of selling omegas to either?” His voice was quiet and dangerous.

Kane’s eyes widened in panic at the sight of him. The omega threw his head back to bare his throat and scrambled off the bed away from Kellan, trembling and holding up his palms. “ _No sé, Alfa_ ,” he said frantically, English leaving him, his soft Cuban accent thickening the way it did whenever he was stressed. “Maybe? In his...his... _mesa_...table? Desk. Or safe? I don’ know.”

Silence stretched between them, Kellan blinking in a moment of confusion before softening his demeanor and rolling himself to sit up. _Scary_. He was being scary to Kane. That wouldn’t do at all; he’d promised not to hurt him, and even though this wasn’t physically hurting the omega, it still caused mental anguish. He slid off the bed and crouched in front of Kane, holding a hand palm up for him and tilting his head to look him in the eyes, making sure to breathe steadily and let his anger drop away. 

“Hey…” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m not mad at you. Not at all. Batarians are a...particular sore spot of mine. If I can get proof that he’s trafficking our people to a group we’re in direct conflict with and one more attack away from open war with, I’ll have him by the _balls_ . And you’ll _all_ get your freedom. Do you think you can help me?”

Kane blinked at him without full comprehension, but some of the fear faded. The omega’s lower lip trembled and he swallowed hard. He nodded, eyes still wide and throat bared. “Help,” he whispered thickly. “You’ll help.”

Kellan nodded patiently, wiggling his fingers at him with a sympathetic wrinkle on his forehead. “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe with me. Promise.”

“‘M scared,” Kane breathed, sliding his hand into Kellan’s.

“Of me?” Kellan asked, gently tugging him upright. The omega shook his head. “Of being sent to the vorcha?” He nodded. “That’s not going to happen. Not on my watch.” Kellan’s voice was quiet but firm, attempting to reassure him.

Kane let himself be pulled to his feet and stood very still, watching the alpha warily. “They’re like spiky, giant _corpses_ with _teeth_ like _needles_. They’ll _eat_ me,” he choked out, still trembling like a leaf. “I don’t want them to touch me. I hate them. I _hate_ them.”

“They’ll have to get through _me_ first. And I know how to kill them.” He gently chucked him under the chin. “Fire is particularly effective.”

“Y-you aren’ always here,” he stammered, his pupils blown. “He could do it tomorrow. Or a year from now. You wouldn’ even know. No one would know. No one would _care_.”

Kellan exhaled slowly through his nose and rumbled in his chest, trying to soothe the frightened omega. “Now, that’s not true at all. _I_ care. And-” he bit his tone back to neutral “-Kahoku cares. You can believe if we discover you missing, the galaxy is going to burn until we find you. If it happens, I’ll come for you, Kane. The vorcha won’t get you. I swear it.”

It was true. If anyone tried to harm this omega, there was no force in the universe strong enough to keep Kellan from hunting them down. And if he disappeared, Kellan would search to the ends of the galaxy, and probably Andromeda, too, until he found him. The moment he was able to get him out of this hellhole, Kane was _his_. 

Kane shuddered and hesitantly stepped closer, tucking himself under his arm and burying his face in Kellan’s chest with his eyes screwed shut. His breath came in shaky gasps. His hands slid around Kellan’s waist and clung to him. He wrapped his arm around Kane’s shoulders, surrounding him in a cocoon of warmth and safety.

“I c-clean Harkin’s office,” Kane said quietly. “I can l-look. I haven’ seen anythin’ but I wasn’ lookin’ for it before.”

“Can you have someone be a lookout for you?” Kellan asked softly. His thumb stroked along Kane’s shoulder, awkward but soothing nonetheless. “Or make sure you’re undisturbed? Are there any cameras in there?”

Kane peeked up at him, silver tears trembling on his long, dark lashes. “No. That would draw attention. No cameras. He doesn’t want to risk anybody watching him. I sneak on the extranet sometimes. I’m sorry for panicking. You’ve never hurt me. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s alright. I’m not going anywhere,” Kellan huffed a small laugh, squeezing his arm around Kane a moment. “I can’t remember the last time someone actually came to me upset like this. I don’t mind. Stay here as long as you need.”

Kane sighed and eased back under his arm, fully sliding his arms around Kellan’s waist and relaxing into him. “Nobody’s ever...I’ve never done this,” he admitted.

The alpha sighed deeply, settling his arm more solidly around him. “There’s a first time for everything. I’ve never gotten a rub down before you, heh.”

Kane surreptitiously rubbed his cheek against Kellan’s chest, his fingers tracing the knobs of his spine as his scent stabilized. “Sorry I messed this one up. I’ll give you a better one next time. You’re all tight again.” 

“You’re fine, omega. Only if you want to. It wasn’t anything you did. It was more of the ‘I still can’t believe people do the shit they do’ shock. When’s the next time you clean his office? We should schedule time most motherfuck ricky-tick after that to debrief.”

“Tuesdays when he’s not here. I’m booked that day. I can put you on the calendar for Wednesday morning,” he said, getting bolder and pressing his cheek fully against Kellan’s chest with a sigh. 

Kane’s heart rate settled back into normal rhythm and his eyes fluttered. Poor thing had probably not felt safe for longer than he could remember.

“It’s a date.”


	17. Chapter 17

Kane spread the datapads he’d managed to smuggle out of Harkin’s office while cleaning it across the bed and looked up at Kellan. It wasn’t much. He’d gotten interrupted by Miranda before he could get into Harkin’s computer, so he’d had to settle for what had been lying around that he’d been able to squirrel out. 

It was nothing but notes Harkin had written down. Some were reports of transfers of omegas, but had nothing on the recipients. Others were money transfers into the brothel that roughly coincided with the departing omegas, but no data on where the money had come from. One note had his name on it with additions and subtractions followed by a crossed out list of numbers that fit those he’d been throwing at Kane and ‘MORE’ scrawled on it, but no details. Since none of it connected to anything, it created a picture with holes in the most vital places. Kane felt like he’d failed.

“It’s not enough, is it?” he asked. “I tried. I didn’t have enough time. I’m sorry.” 

Kellan bit his lower lip while looking through the datapads, left leg tucked up under him while the right one hung off the edge of the bed. “It’s good. I’m happy you were able to get this much, but yeah…unfortunately, I’ll need more if you can do it again next week. Damn it _…_ I don’t want to put you in more risk than you’re already at, but I need the data. Shit.” 

He downloaded the info from the datapads onto his omni-tool, orange glow doing nothing to lighten the dark look on his face. His scent kept circling around from stressed to comforting to frustrated. 

“There’s got to be an easier way to do this. You’ll be dead in the water if you’re caught smuggling this stuff,” he said.

“Or just dead.” Kane’s shoulders slumped. 

Kellan was trying to be nice, but Kane knew he’d fallen short in his assigned task. He would just have to try again, but Harkin had changed his passcode on the computer and he didn’t know if he could hack it. He didn’t have enough experience with computers to be good at it. Harkin’s password had been ‘Chora’ before. But Kane had already tried all of the obvious things, and nothing he could think of had worked. 

“I need to learn how to hack a computer,” he grumbled. “I don’t know if I can get you what you need otherwise. He doesn’t meet any batarians here, but he’s talked to somebody because he keeps me updated on the current offer to scare me. I don’t know who the humans he does meet with are or even when he sees them most of the time. I’m not sure I’m really the best person for this.”

The alpha blew a hefty sigh, rubbing his buzz cut in frustration before nudging Kane’s knee with his own, catching his gaze with a reassuring half-grin. “You’re perfect. We’ll find a solution. Trust me, I would be much less farther along without you. We’re missing some big pieces, yeah, but I think we can get them. We just need to be patient and bide our time. Oh!” The alpha’s scent changed from receding stress to anticipation and cautious hope. “Speaking of which, I, ah. Bought a whole night. Did you see? On your schedule, I mean.” 

Kane gave him a shy smile and nudged back, resulting in Shepard’s grin widening. “I did. Was wonderin’ what you were planning that would take a whole night.” Maybe Kellan had finally decided to say ‘fuck ethics.’ Kane flushed at the prospect. Getting to be with Kellan even once would be worth whatever pain came with the knotting. And maybe...he cut the thought before it could form. No ‘maybes’. It would just be nice to be together with an alpha who made his belly flutter and his ass slick outside of heat. Maybe he’d even like it. 

“Well, I thought about what you’d said about never leaving here, and it just so happens that I have an engagement that I can take a guest to. It’s black tie, so we’ll have to find a suit for you. It’s still a couple weeks away, so we have time. I’ll be in mess dress.” The alpha sighed again and left his knee next to Kane’s, stacking the datapads up after he had downloaded them all and leaning into him.

Kane gaped at him. “You want _me_ as an escort? No one ever asks for me as an escort. They usually take Maya. She knows how to be in public. I don’t.”

Kellan gave him another half-grin and tapped his finger gently under the omega’s chin. “Why not? Besides, I prefer your company to those who’ll be there, anyway. Kahoku would probably like to make sure you’re alright, too. I’m technically going to be working then, so I don’t feel bad about getting you out of jail for a night on their dime. Enjoy yourself a bit.”

“I just saw Kahoku two days ago,” Kane said. “Why would he think I’m not alright?”

“Oh…” the alpha blinked, a small whiff of agitation flitting through the air before it drifted away. His face and voice were carefully blank. “I didn’t know that. Guess he’d already know, then.”

Kane shifted closer, pressing their thighs together, tucking his hand under the other man’s shirt and tracing a finger up his spine. He was beginning to suspect that Kellan was jealous of Kahoku, but it didn’t make sense. Still, he was an alpha and alphas liked to at least pretend they were the one and only even when they knew they weren’t. 

Kane rubbed his cheek against Shepard’s shoulder to reassure him and smiled up at him. “I’d like to go with _you_ regardless. I’ll need help, though. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

What remnants of Kellan’s displeasure were in the air dissipated completely as Kane continued to stroke his skin; the alpha’s shoulders slowly relaxed and he leaned harder into him, scrolling through his omni-tool with a furrowed brow. He cleared his throat and shifted his left leg a little. A hint of desire colored his scent. 

“Oh, I think you’ll be alright. Start with the outside utensils, work your way in. Keep your napkin in your lap. That type of thing,” he said distractedly. “Just watch me and do what I do.”

Kane flattened his hand, sliding it over the dense muscles and leaning close enough to tuck up under Shepard’s arm. The alpha’s scent was stronger at Kane’s neck and it made him dizzy. “At least nobody’ll expect me to talk about anything. Seen and not heard, right?”

“Mm…” Kellan shifted his weight and pressed himself tight next to Kane, nostrils flaring the closer he got. “ _I’ll_ be talking to you. It’s also a good place to try to pick up intel about other things, too. Politics will be a huge topic. Especially ‘future endeavors’ and where the Alliance and Parliament want to focus: colonial expansion, strengthening the navy, allocation of resources, the like.” Kellan glanced down at him, neck flushed. “I’m already putting you to sleep, aren’t I?”

“No,” Kane said, lifting his eyes to the alpha and trailing his hand back down to his waist. “It sounds like this is something that interests you.”

“I wanted to be the next Kahoku,” Shepard admitted. “Political aspirations in an alpha might sound odd in today’s climate, but I’ve intended to be at least an admiral since I was young. My mother ensured that I understood politics. She’s an admiral, which is part of why she keeps her distance now. Neither of us wish for anyone to claim nepotism when I’m recognized for my accomplishments.” 

Kellan moved his left leg with a small wince. Once, the sight of the growing bulge outlined against the alpha’s jeans would have inspired fear. Now, it made Kane’s mouth go dry and drove him closer, the tip of his nose trailing helplessly along Kellan’s collarbone. 

Kellan groaned deep in his chest, shivering under the attention and squeezing his eyes shut tight. _“_ Ohhh, shit... _”_

Somehow, Kane managed to keep enough wits about him to ramble, “I just won’t know what to say to any of it. All I know about politics is what little we see on the vid screen on the public access channels. An’ we only get to watch that because Harkin wants us to not look like total idiots when alphas come in an’ start talking about current events. Most don’t, but the ones who do expect us to be able to hold an intelligent conversation. That’s above what I know how to discuss, though.”

The alpha snorted in amusement. “And then along comes _this_ asshole, right?” He gestured to himself, then sobered a little. “My primary concern is there will be a lot of alphas there. Not all of them will be particularly careful about what they say and to who. Unfortunately, you will probably have to deal with some of them being inappropriate if they can get you on their own. Keep as close to me as you can, just in case.”

“I know how to handle alphas,” he said quietly, pressing against him all the same and plucking at his own jeans. His underwear was beginning to stick to his skin. The sensation was one he hadn’t felt outside of heat. The need to be closer reminded him of it as well, but he wasn’t due for another one for weeks. This desire was all his own. “Let them say what they want. S’long as they don’t touch me, I don’t care. I’d rather not have them pawing at me, though. May be a whore, but I’m not a piece of meat.”

Amusement laced the alpha’s words and scent, making it almost sweet. “Oh, I think they’ll be well-behaved enough to know not to mess with you physically. Especially if you’re on my arm. Most tend to be...somewhat impressed...when I’m all decked out.”

“I bet,” Kane said, biting his lip at the mental image. He’d seen alphas dressed in their full Alliance uniforms before and it was a sight to behold even on the otherwise unattractive ones. Kellan in full dress would be... _hot_. “I think you’d be impressive even in a potato sack, though.” 

Kellan laughed, bright and surprised again. “Flatterer. I know. I should borrow the robe. _That_ will get them all talking for sure.” He gently bumped his shoulder into Kane.

Kane bit his lip and chuckled, trailing his nose up Kellan’s pulse where his scent was the strongest. “It wouldn’ cover _anythin’_ on you. They’d be completely scandalized. What would the betas think?” he murmured against the alpha’s skin. Kellan positively shuddered at that, exhaling sharply. 

If he moved any closer, he’d have to crawl into his lap. The idea wasn’t at all unappealing. Fuck ethics. Kellan wanted him. He wanted Kellan. They had to keep the cover up anyway. It would still be work. Kahoku knew what he was. Only a fool would send an alpha into a whorehouse with an omega bought and paid for and expect nothing to happen between them. 

“Prime alpha specimen, maybe. They want to put us all in a lab if they can,” he whispered as he looked at Kane again. “Perhaps the uniform would be better. Wouldn’t want to give them an excuse, right?”

“They want to exterminate us,” he said. “That much even I can figure out. _Are_ there planets with no betas? There have to be some, right? Places we’re free?”

“Certainly seems like it sometimes, doesn’t it,” the alpha muttered, unconsciously rubbing his left knee. “They certainly have no issues sending us out on ridiculous missions.”

“The Terminus Systems, right? The news says a lot of alphas are dying out there. They don’t make you go there, do they?” he asked, placing his other hand on Shepard’s thigh and beginning to carefully work the muscle around the wounded joint.

“Not right now, they’re not,” Kellan replied quietly, watching him massage his leg and shifting it to give Kane better access. “Thanks…that feels _really_ good.”

Kane moved to get a better angle and said softly, “Good. I don’t want them to.”

The alpha huffed a small laugh, still watching the omega’s hands. His scent was bright and anticipatory mixed with a confusing combination of relaxation and mildly increasing anxiety.. “So…where are we going to find you a suit and get it tailored in the next week?”

“No idea. Omegas don’t wear suits,” he said. 

Shepard scowled. “Then what do you wear to a black tie event?”

“What’s a ‘black tie event’?” Kane asked. “Sounds kinky, so pro’ly leather?.”

The alpha choked a bit, covering it quickly with a cough. “Uh, not that kind of ‘tie’. Women wear gowns, big jewels. Men wear tuxedos and cufflinks. Military wears dress uniforms and medals.”

“I don’t think omegas are allowed at stuff like that,” he said doubtfully. “Maybe bonded ones, but ones like me? We don’t get to go to formal stuff.”

“Well, they do and they don’t. Omegas in the Alliance who are invited to these events dress in their uniforms. I don’t know enough about other people and their bonded situations, but the ones I’ve seen out of uniform were dressed to the nines. It’s true that they’re in about a three to one ratio, though. Betas are starting to outnumber us there.”

Kane rubbed his cheek against Shepard’s chest again, his hand massaging up Kellan’s thigh. When his thumb pressed against the inside of it just below his groin, the alpha’s breath caught and the musky chocolate-and-cayenne scent of desire filled the room. “Like I said, I don’t know the first thing about it. I defer to your judgment, Alpha.”

“Just, uh… just Kellan’s fine,” he replied distractedly, shifting his legs further apart and briefly nuzzling the top of Kane’s hair before bringing up his omni-tool and searching for tuxedo rental places. “I suppose…we can probably rent one? Get them your size and measurements, pick it up, go to my place so we can get dressed, then off we go.” He pressed back against Kane, showing him the options that popped up.

Kane leaned in, the back of his neck heating. “You’d let me see where you live?”

“Why not?” Shepard furrowed his brow, still scrolling through options. “Though it’s just a rental while I’m here. It’s not really ‘mine’.”

Kane’s shoulders slumped at the reminder that Kellan didn’t live here and wouldn’t be around indefinitely. He didn’t want him to go. He didn’t want to think about the time when Shepard would move on and Kane would either still be here, alone, or be...no. He wouldn’t think about it. He wasn’t going to think about anything but seducing his goddamn alpha at least once before Harkin could sell him. He might never see him again. _Fuck_ ‘ethics.’ 

“It’s still yours,” he said.

“Sure, I guess. What do you think of this one? Think it’ll look good?” The alpha leaned into him again, rubbing his chin and jaw over the top of Kane’s hair while expanding an image of a sharp looking dark blue suit with long, clean lines that flattered the model. The model’s body shape looked very similar to Kane’s.

“I like it if you like it,” he said distractedly. He didn’t care what Kellan put him in as long as Kellan thought he was sexy. He continued to work the alpha’s thigh, following the muscle up and down as he peered at the screen. “Sorry. I’m afraid I’m a little more interested in...ah, your...omni-tool than clothes. I don’t know anything about the latter, but...you know, if I had that ‘tool, I could get you everything on Harkin.”

Shepard paused and bit his lower lip again, worrying it between his teeth. “Huh…that…might actually be what we’re looking for. You don’t have one, right?” He looked down at Kane and the omega shook his head, his lips ghosting over Kellan’s pulse. The alpha groaned and steeled himself to focus. “Oh, _shit_ …. Okay. If you had one, I could give you a decryption program and you could unlock his computer. Or I could get remote access through your ‘tool to it and get everything I need _that_ way. Yeah… I like this idea. You won’t have to handle actual material or remove it, I can see it in real time and mine what I need out of it, and you’ll get something out of it, too.”

“You’d actually do that?” Kane asked. He’d just been making an idle observation. 

Kellan nodded. “Let me see if I can get it approved. I’ll be willing to bet I can. As soon as I get it, we’ll install it the next time I see you. Just so you know, it’ll be a little messy. It’s an implant that goes under your skin and hooks up to the haptic interface implants you’ve already got in your fingers. Is that acceptable?”

“As long as you can do it, I don’t mind if it’s messy. I’m good at handling pain. I won’t even make a sound. Promise,” he said, reaching the top of Shepard’s thigh and working back down to his knee.

“Mmph,” the large man groaned, head dropping forward and ending up on Kane’s shoulder as he slumped. “That feels _really_ fucking good...mmm,” he mumbled with a deep sigh, nose brushing the omega’s neck. 

Kane nibbled softly at his skin, his free hand sliding up over the alpha’s short hair, massaging his scalp. Kellan sighed again, further relaxing on him, sliding his nose behind Kane’s ear and tentatively touching the small of his back. Kane tipped his head to give him access, slick coating his asscheeks. Kellan’s scent was a riot of confusion: alpha musk thickening, delicate threads of shyness woven through with acrid embarrassment and airy notes of _hope_ , of all things. 

“Fucking ethics,” Kellan grumbled, practically nuzzling behind his ear. “Always get in the damn way when it gets down to it.”

“I can stop,” he breathed, but was afraid it would take a charging krogan to peel him off of Kellan at the moment. 

The loose cotton pants he wore tented out in front of him, doing nothing to hide his condition, and if he got any slicker, they’d be soaked and he would have to figure something out to explain when they should have been off an hour ago. 

“Please don’t. It’s not you.” Shepard’s breath was warm on his neck as he slowly exhaled, moving himself as close as he could get next to Kane. His lips brushed the omega’s skin behind his ear. “Well, indirectly it is, I suppose, but you’re definitely not the problem.” The alpha toyed with the hem of Kane’s shirt. 

Kane suppressed a whimper, giving in and climbing into the bigger man’s lap, sucking gently beneath the point of his jaw. His fingers drifted over the bulge against Kellan’s groin, mapping the thick erection tucked into his jeans. 

“You have to get off anyway,” he whispered against his skin. “What difference does it make if I’m in here or in there? If I’m touching you or the toy? I know you want me. You know I want you. I can’t fake this.” He rocked his hips forward, pressing against Shepard’s belly for emphasis. “At least let me touch you. Let me help. Please, Alpha. Don’t turn me away. No one’s going to get hurt. Nothing will change because it’s my hand putting the toy on you. Please, Kellan....” 

God, if he didn’t get that massive cock in his ass soon, he was going to _die_. But there was no pain like during heat, only need that stole his breath and dug his fingers into Kellan’s scalp. Need that left his teeth grazing gently over Kellan’s skin with his tongue following it to soothe. Need that made him want to rip his pants off and present himself with his ass in the air. Need that dripped down the back of his balls and left his underwear clinging to his skin. It was all he could do not to tear his pants off and present his ass to the alpha, but Kellan had said no to sex. Kane wouldn’t compromise him, no matter how much he wanted to in the moment. But he couldn’t just go into the damn bathroom again.

 _“Oh, my God…”_

The alpha slid a hand down the back of Kane’s pants and the other up his spine, pulling him close and rolling their hips together while his long finger traced Kane’s slick cleft. He trembled underneath the omega, scent thick and alluring. Kane gasped sharply, pressing back against his hand, rational thought leaving him. 

“Please, Alpha…” 

Kellan nipped up his neck, holding him tight against his groin as their hips rocked together and found a quick rhythm. “T-toy…in the bag…get it, please? _”_

His thighs shook from the effort to slow down and Kane fumbled for the rucksack next to the bed. The position snugged his ass up against Shepard’s length. His hands trembled and he missed the zipper twice before finding the broad silicone band designed to constrict an alpha’s knot when an omega wasn’t available and sitting up again. He was going to need to change his soaked pants before he left the room. Maybe he’d dunk these in the bathtub. Claim Kellan had carried him in there fully clothed. 

A frustrated grunt came from the large man and he felt a sharp tug on his t-shirt. Apparently, it was aggravating to the alpha, because the next yank on it came with the sound of ripping fabric and the chill air ghosting across his freshly exposed skin. He moaned against Kellan’s neck, letting the toy slip from his fingers.

The alpha grappled with his jeans to get the straining and now damp cloth to peel back and away to expose him. Kane completely forgot the toy, wrapping his hand around the alpha and stroking from his leaking tip to the base where his knot would form. He ached to slide down onto him and ride him until neither of them could breathe. 

Kellan grit his teeth and snatched the forgotten toy from beside them on the bed, quickly inserting himself in the opening and thrusting in with a desperate moan, stroking it downward and hastily moving Kane’s hand around it before wrapping his own larger hand over the omega’s. He buried his face in Kane’s neck as his heavily leaking tip traced the ridges of Kane’s stomach, leaving a glistening trail in its wake. The alpha moved his other hand to grip the back of Kane’s neck, holding him tightly in place.

Kane moved his hand with Kellan’s, rolling his thumb over the crown and spreading moisture down to the band, his breath coming in shaking pants. Kellan rolled his body one last time against Kane before spurting his release on the omega’s stomach in thick, white ropes with a gruff moan deep in his chest. He squeezed their joined hands tightly around his throbbing knot, panting hard. 

Kane groaned and clung to him, need insisting he find some kind of relief but expecting none to come. To his shock, his alpha answered the demand, moving his hand from Kane’s neck to his stomach, swiping some of the moisture off his skin before wrapping his large fist around Kane’s aching length. Kane gave a keening moan, thrusting helplessly up into his hand, slick soaking through the thin cotton of his pants.

“Oh, god, _Alpha_!” he exclaimed. 

Kellan responded with a guttural moan and scraped his teeth along Kane’s neck, stroking him quickly. He ran his thumb over Kane’s exposed tip, spreading the moisture forming there. Kane writhed on him, grinding his ass against the alpha’s thigh, seeking more. 

“Fuckmefuckmeplease…” he groaned mindlessly, too far gone to care about ethics or who was working and who wasn’t. He just needed this _aching_ emptiness to ease.

“Anything you need, omega,” Kellan whispered before nipping beneath his ear and removing his hand from himself to slip two fingers easily into Kane’s slicked up passage. 

His touch wasn’t rough like other alphas, but gentle and steady. Kane pressed helplessly back onto them, burying his face beneath Kellan’s jaw, his hands tight around the alpha’s swollen knot and on his shoulder.

Kellan’s hands moved in tandem, stroking him inside and out in a never-ending loop of pleasure he’d never thought possible, and then the alpha hummed in satisfaction as he stroked the edge of Kane’s pocket and a startling rush of slick met his hand, wrenching a gasp from Kane’s lips. Kane’s hips jerked, his eyes rolling back, his body tensing. He heard himself begging as if from a distance for the thing he needed to drive him over the edge. 

“Please, Alpha, more, please…”

The large man hitched Kane up on his lap as he swept his fingers around his pocket once more before curling them to simulate a knot pressing in him. Kane’s body bowed, his release flashing over, taking his breath away and making lightning crackle across his skin. His head fell back, exposing his throat for the alpha, his eyes dazed, his blood rushing in his ears. Kellan’s biotics flared in a sympathetic response and the sucked lightly on Kane’s neck, their hips still rocking together in the aftershocks.

Kane collapsed against him, breathing heavily, and slid his arm around Kellan’s broad back, his head resting on Kellan’s shoulder. His lips found skin again and trailed over them, leaving kisses like breadcrumbs. 

“ _Dios mio_ ,” he finally breathed. 

The alpha chuckled, nuzzling behind his ear and inhaling deeply. “....Fucking ethics,” he said quietly after a moment.

“Fuckin’ ethics,” Kane agreed.


	18. Chapter 18

Kane took a steadying breath, his fingers flying over the haptic keyboard of Harkin’s computer. Kellan hadn’t been able to get approval for the omni-tool yet, but with Harkin claiming that the batarians were less than a million credits from his goal price and no idea whether the man would compromise on it, they’d decided it was time to take the risk. 

Kellan had given him a decryption program to manually install and an external drive to image the computer onto. Once he got the omni-tool, Kellan said he was going to walk him through installing a virus that would allow him to view the machine in real time. For now, though, they just had to hope that there was enough on there to stop the sale and take down Harkin.

He’d also given him a tiny comm unit that fit behind his ear with a clear strip of tape that sat over his voice box as a microphone. The earpiece didn’t make any audible noise from the outside, instead using his bones and vibrations to make the sound inside his head. The microphone worked similarly, picking up on the movement of his vocal cords to transmit his words, meaning he could speak as quietly as he needed and Kellan could hear him clear as day. 

“I’m in,” he whispered.

“Good. Are you safe?” came the reply in his head. 

Despite his tension, he had to suppress a giggle. “That’s so weird. Yeah. So far, so good.” 

“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Kellan asked. “Alright, insert the drives into the ports on the terminal. They’re shaped like what’s supposed to go in them, so you can’t put the wrong one in the wrong spot. Do you see what I’m talking about?”

“Yes, Alpha,” he answered, slipping the drives into the correct slots. 

“Okay, now a window should pop up on the screen. I called in a favor with a friend to get this little VI written for you so it should just be point and shoot. Tell it to run and it’ll do its thing. Imaging should only take a few minutes, but it’s going to crawl all of his accounts and copy everything from those, too, and hack into your server database. She said that may take up to ten minutes. Be sure you’re good, though. Once you start it running, you won’t be able to stop it till it’s done, even if you remove the drive. It’ll send the progress to my omni-tool.”

“I’m fine. It’s running,” Kane said as he tapped a finger on the screen. Kellan wasn’t joking about it being simple. The window had a single button that said ‘run’. Easy enough. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is this ‘friend’ an omega?”

“Yeah,” Kellan answered. “Why?”

“Is she…” he trailed off, unsure of whether he wanted to know the answer or not. 

“She’s just a friend. I see it. You’re still safe?” Kellan asked. 

“Yes, Alpha. I do this all the time. It’s fine. Harkin’s at Aethyta’s, and Miranda’s the only other one who ever comes in here. She’s busy dealing with a...distraction.”

“What kind of ‘distraction’?” Kellan asked sharply. Kane could picture him sitting forward, his muscles tensing.

He grinned, carefully sorting through the datapads on the desk. “I bet Kaidan and Tali a day’s rations they couldn’t hack the security mechs and fight them like those quasar robots we saw on the vid screen. They’re nerds. Last week, they built a short-range communicator out of stuff they found in the kitchen and—oh no.” 

“What?” Kellan demanded. “What happened?”

“Gunshots,” he whispered. “The mechs are shooting.”

“That’ll bring Harkin,” Kellan said. “You have to get out of there.”

“I can’t,” he reminded him. “The VI’s still going.”

“She installed a self-destruct code in case—”

“ _No_ , Alpha,” he hissed. “Don’t you understand? I’m out of time either way! He catches me now, he decides he doesn’t need that extra million and I go to the batarians. He doesn’t, and they offer that extra million, and I go to the batarians. The _only_ chance I have is to get this data and get it _now_ so you can have time to get me outta here before that happens.”

Kellan swore long and loud. Kane scrolled through the computer until he came to the surveillance screens. The front door opened and Harkin rushed into the reception area with a thunderous expression on his face. In the day room, half a dozen omegas gathered around Vega, who clutched his bleeding arm. Another half dozen, including Kaidan and Tali, rushed to pick up the pieces of the destroyed mechs. Miranda darted down the hall, either to fetch Harkin or intercept him. Kane didn’t know which. 

_Thirty percent._

Kane straightened the data pads and minimized the VI window before turning off the monitor. He grabbed a dust rag and dragged it along the credenza behind Harkin’s desk. _Act normal. He expects you to be here. You do this every week. Stay calm._ Footsteps rushed past the office, accompanied by the _null_ scent of a beta. One of the human security staff, he guessed. He sprayed polish onto his rag and began buffing the wood. Still no Harkin. 

“Fifty percent,” Kellan said. “What’s going on?”

“People are running around,” he murmured. “I don’t know where Harkin is.”

“Stay calm but don’t stress if you’re a little nervous. You just heard gunshots. I’m sure all of the omegas are a little agitated,” Kellan said. “Shit, I hate not being able to do anything.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought it was a clever distraction. I didn’t think this would happen.”

Kellan sighed heavily. “This is what my friend would call a ‘pro tip’: anything that can go wrong on a covert op _will_. Next time, think through anything that could happen and try to plan around it. If the mechs are armed, expect them to use it. If Maya’s nearby, expect her to interrupt. If you can’t prevent it, make a plan to work with it.”

Kane shrugged, chagrined, and moved to the window. “They never use their guns. I forgot they carried—shh. He’s coming.” 

Harkin’s sour odor preceded his footsteps up the hallway. Kane shivered and focused on cleaning the glass in front of him. He was usually further along by now. Harkin would probably chew his ass for that. 

“Stay calm,” Kellan said soothingly. “I’m right here.”

“What if he gets on the computer? He’ll see the program.” Kane’s gut churned, but his hands were steady.

“If he catches you, I’ll...I’ll figure something out. Promise. I won’t let anything happen to you. Tell him it’s industrial espionage and I made you do it. I wanna take over his business and I sent you after his client lists. I told you I’d...do something bad if you didn’t.”

Kane nodded and cleared his throat as the door opened and Harkin entered. The alpha scowled and eyed him up and down. “What are you still doing in here?”

“Seventy percent,” Kellan said.

“Finishing up, alpha,” he said. “Three more minutes. I just need to vacuum.”

“You seem awful calm, Princess,” Harkin said, going to his desk and rummaging in a drawer. “You got wax in your ears or are gunshots normal where you come from? Or maybe...you knew about this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, alpha,” Kane said, activating the vacuum mech in the corner. “I heard something pop a few minutes ago. That was gunshots? Did anybody get hurt?”

“Vega got shot in the arm. He’s fine,” Harkin grumbled, taking out an old-fashioned key from his pocket and going to the safe. 

“That’s good,” Kane said.

“Good,” Kellan murmured. “Keep calm. Ninety percent.”

Harkin withdrew a pistol from the safe and tucked it into his waistband. Kane’s eyes widened, but he focused on the vacuum, watching it run across the floor. Harkin strode to the desk and yanked open another drawer. _Please don’t turn the computer on. Why does he have a gun? Oh god, what have I done?_ Harkin stomped back over to the closet with the safe and slapped at the door. It bounced against its frame with a clang. 

“Get outta here,” the alpha snarled.

“Done,” Kellan whispered.

“Yes, alpha,” Kane replied. 

The vacuum had lodged itself against the desk chair, so he went to it and turned it off, surreptitiously pocketing the drives as he did so. He carried the vacuum back to its cradle and followed Harkin out of the office. When they passed the bathroom, Kane casually went inside and closed the door behind him, peeking through the crack until Harkin was out of sight. He slipped out and trotted lightly back into the office, closing the door and flipping the monitor on. 

“Are you safe?” Kellan asked. Kane grunted.

Harkin continued walking back toward the day room. Kane went to the closet and used a fingertip to wedge between the door of the safe and its frame. It silently swung open and Kane bit his lip and grinned. _Jackpot_. Credit chits, a full stack of them, and more datapads, a pocketknife with a cracked handle, and a tarnished police badge with Harkin’s name on it. Kane pulled one of the datapads out and turned it on. 

“Kane! Are you safe?” Kellan asked again.

“Yes, Alpha,” he whispered. “And I’m _in_ his safe. It didn’t close all the way when he got the gun out.”

“Gun? Why’d he get a gun?”

“To shoot one of the mechs, I guess?” Kane said. “One blew up, but the other one was crawling across the floor in the day room. He went that way.”

“You _guess_?” he repeated. “Kane. An alpha who hates you has a gun and you’re the one who started the thing with the mech. You think Tali and Kaidan won’t rat you out? You need to be a little more concerned.”

Kane shrugged, scrolling through the datapad. “If he kills me, he can’t sell me. So either he won’t and nothing changes or he will and I don’t have to go. I’ve got other things to worry about. Like a name. Kel-eh-man Fer-ank,” he sounded out he unfamiliar words. 

“Holy shit. That may be what we need,” Kellan said. “Good job. Now, get out of there.” 

A gunshot rang out. Kane glanced over at the computer monitor and did a quick double-take, the datapad falling from numb fingers. “No,” he whispered. “Oh god, what have I done?”

“What?” Kellan demanded. “Kane? What happened? Who’d he kill?”

“Kaidan,” Kane mewled. “He shot Kaidan in the head.” His breath came in short, rapid gasps. “I killed him. I killed him.”

“Fuck me sideways. Alright. Calm down, Kane,” Kellan said soothingly. “Put the datapad back. Can you do that?” It was phrased as a request, but his voice took on the firm tone of an order.

“Yes, Alpha,” Kane said. He dropped it twice, but managed to replace it in the safe.

“Now close the safe. Not all the way. Harkin might’ve let it stay open as a test. Put it back the way it was.”

Kane obeyed, trembling as he did so. When Kellan ordered him to shut down the surveillance feed and turn off the monitor, he did that, too, and closed the office door behind him when he left. Kane was still trembling when he walked down the hallway past omegas running to and fro around him, and when he went into his cell and slid down the wall to curl up in a ball. He was still trembling when Joker found him an hour later and sat down beside him, his eyes distant and his manner subdued. In his head, Kellan continued to talk to him, trying to calm him, to get through to him. He responded only rarely, hating himself with every breath he took. He hated himself even more when Joker filled in what he’d missed. 

Harkin had been with Sha’ira, an appointment he’d waited almost six months for, and which had been interrupted when Miranda had been forced to call and tell him about the mechs and Vega. He’d given Kaidan a chance to explain, but Kaidan had claimed that it was all his idea and no one else was involved. He said he’d gotten bored and thought it would be funny, he didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. And Harkin had shot him in the head for it as an example to the others. 

Business was drying up due to the increase in omegas on the streets. Profits were at an all-time low. Most of them brought in just enough to pay for their own room and board. The handful of them who were still making him money—like Kane, Maya, Reyes, Vega, and Diana—were the ones keeping the lights on and credits in Harkin’s pocket. Anyone who threatened that was expendable, but Harkin wasn’t going to simply release them. 

“He’s losing his damn mind,” Joker muttered.


	19. Chapter 19

“Harkin had me put a camera in the Red Room,” Miranda said under her breath as she came up alongside Kane on his way to his appointment with Kellan. “One of the beta cleaners had mentioned he hadn’t smelled slick after you’ve used it with Shepard. He didn’t do anything then, but after finding you in his office on Tuesday, he thinks the two of you are conspiring something. If you are, I advise you to hurry. He got another offer today.” 

Before he could open his mouth to question her, she sped her pace and walked past him to the Blossom Room. 

He’d left the comm in his room, so he couldn’t warn Kellan. He considered his options as he paced the Red Room with a drone floating silent and invisible in the top of the corner. The awful robe might be enough to make the alpha consider. He stripped down and slipped into it before kneeling by the door with his knees spread and his hands on his thighs. It wasn’t a typical thing for the omegas to do and wasn’t something he could ever imagine Kellan asking of him, so hopefully it would read as routine to Harkin and out of place enough to Kellan to keep his mouth shut and play along till Kane could explain. 

They would have to have sex. Kane could see no way around it. He was going to have to take Kellan. Dampness spread around his passage at the image of the big alpha sliding into him. He trusted him. He didn’t mind. But the camera meant that the fantasy he’d been indulging lately, of Kellan fucking him with the sheath so he didn’t have to take his knot, wouldn’t work. 

Kellan would have to knot him. And then Kellan would realize he was broken. It would hurt. It always hurt, but he’d seen Kellan’s knot. The thing was huge like the alpha himself. At least Shepard wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. He’d try to make it as comfortable as possible. Kane knew that much about him already. 

Harkin never put up cameras in the rooms. If the clients suspected he was spying on them, they would never come back. One of the other centers had gotten caught recording trysts and selling them on the extranet a few years before. It had gone bankrupt in a week and been bought out by someone who made a show of removing all recording devices and had the omegas scan each room for months until the clients started trusting them again. 

Kane wanted Kellan, but he didn’t want him like this. Not in violation of his ‘fucking ethics.’ Not when it stole his consent. Kane might be jealous that Kellan got to choose, but that didn’t mean he wanted to take that right away.

The door slid open. Kellan ducked into the room and stopped. His stormy gray eyes met Kane’s and he held out a hand, demanding rather than asking, his posture straight and gaze not leaving Kane’s face. Kane took his hand and let Kellan draw him forward, hissing in a breath as the alpha’s hands slid beneath the robe and over his skin. 

Kellan ducked his head, dragging his nose behind his ear and whispering, “Tell me.”

“Camera drone,” he murmured against the alpha’s heady pulse, slipping his hands under Shepard’s shirt and pushing it up as he stroked up his torso. “‘M sorry.” 

Kellan’s hand splayed over his lower back, pulling their hips flush, and trailed lower, cupping his ass with a groan. “Say you don’t want this or me, and I will burn this place down if I must to get you out. I will not rape you, not even to save us.”

“I want you,” he whispered, tipping his ass back into the alpha’s hand and letting him feel the slick coating his cheeks. “I don’ care about the camera. I want _you_ , Kellan. Take me, please.”

Kellan groaned deep in his throat and tightened his arms around Kane, their lips meeting in a desperate clash of teeth and tongues that had Kane shoving at his shirt. Kellan drew back to impatiently strip it off, guiding Kane back to the bed with his body, his eyes never leaving him to search the room for the camera, as if he’d already forgotten it was there. The robe dissolved under his hands, leaving Kane naked and dripping in front of him, Kane’s hands trembling as he fumbled at the button to Kellan’s jeans and the alpha kicked his shoes off, his hands roaming over Kane’s body. 

“I want you,” Kellan murmured against his lips. “Fuck, I’ve wanted you for so long, baby. I’ll take care of you. Won’t hurt you, promise, I’ll make it good for you, too.” 

He stepped out of the jeans Kane had finally managed to push down over his hips and lifted Kane up, crawling onto the bed with Kane’s legs wrapped around his waist. His tip nudged Kane’s entrance and Kane flexed, arching his back in anticipation of being entered, but Kellan pulled his hips back with a strained moan, laying him back on the pillows and kissing down his throat instead.

“Alpha,” Kane hissed, tipping his head back and stroking his hands down Kellan’s chest, testing his reactions to pressure and location, grazing his thumbnails over the alpha’s nipples and earning himself a soft nip and a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses across his collarbone. “Want to...ohhhh...to make you feel good.”

“Stop thinking,” Kellan ordered gently against his skin. “Just feel, sweetheart. I want to hear my omega calling my name before I’m through.”

Kane shuddered, clinging to him. No one had ever claimed him outside of rut when it didn’t mean anything. He suppressed a flare of hope and fisted a hand in the sheet as Shepard’s tongue danced down his chest and belly. Those smoky gray eyes were dark with lust when they met Kane’s, and Kane forgot how to breathe as he kept them on him and lowered his head, dragging the tip of his tongue along Kane’s aching length. His warbling moan was a sound he hadn’t known he could make, and Kellan grinned up at him before wrapping those full lips around him and sucking Kane down. 

Calloused fingers stroked his dripping entrance, pressing into him the way he had the time before. Kane’s back arched up off the bed, his heels digging into the mattress, all thought of being observed fleeing. There was nothing but him and his Alpha, and this aching need that left him breathless and begging incoherently. Kellan moved with him, groaning around him and sweeping his fingers along Kane’s pocket.

“Oh, god, Alpha, fuck me, take me, _please_!” he wailed. 

Kellan’s fingers withdrew from him and he lifted his head, watching Kane as he slid them into his mouth, licking them clean. Kane mewled, watching him and trying not to overtly grab for him. He didn’t care about the knot at the end. He wanted it. He wanted it all. He was so _empty_ and he _needed_ him. He needed all of him like he’d never needed it before, even during a heat.

Kellan surged up his body, wrapping Kane’s thighs around his waist again and gripping tightly as he lined himself up. He ducked his head, his lips melding with Kane’s, his tongue sliding into his mouth to stroke Kane’s, fingers slipping into his hair as the big alpha cradled his face in a massive hand. Kane’s nostrils flared, drinking in the scent of him as Shepard pressed into him with excruciating slowness. 

Inch by careful inch, Shepard’s massive cock stretched and filled him, stealing his breath and leaving him trembling. Kane’s fingers dug into his shoulders, and he kissed him desperately, melting into it, into him, this Alpha who’d come to mean the world to him. When he was fully seated in him, Kellan stopped, resting his forehead against Kane’s.

“I love you, Kane,” he breathed. “I love you.” 

Kane’s breath caught and hot tears spilled from his eyes as he clung to Kellan, trembling in his arms. If he’d ever heard those words directed at himself, he couldn’t remember. He gasped for air, pressing back against the alpha’s forehead, terrified to wake up and find that it had all been a dream. 

“I love you, too, Kellan,” he whispered. “Alpha.”

Shepard groaned softly and began to move, smoothly rolling his hips, the hand on his thigh sliding up to wrap around his length, the thumb circling his tip. Kane tipped his head back and kissed him again, drinking him in, his hands seeking out every point of contact he could find. Kellan moaned when his fingers delved into his hair, massaging his scalp, and his hips jerked when Kane’s thumb brushed over his nipple. 

He kept his rhythm slow and steady, his touch tender, his eyes open and adoring on him, wrapping Kane in a bubble that he wished would never end. Eventually, though, Shepard’s breathing grew heavier and his own need began flexing its claws in his belly. He arched back onto Kellan’s thick length, grinding on him, needy moans escaping his throat, and Shepard answered with a growling moan, his hips snapping as he drove into him, burying himself on each thrust. 

The muscles in Kellan’s back and shoulders flexed with each roll of his body into him, and his teeth locked on Kane’s shoulder, gripping just this side of pain, another kind of claim. His hand clenched on Kane’s ass, moving him in tandem with the alpha’s hips hammering into him, their desperate moans mingling in the air. 

“Ohh fuck, come for me,” Kellan growled against his skin, hitching him up for an angle that ran his tip over the inner edge of his pocket, making it flutter around him. 

“Knot me!” Kane shouted in a high, thin voice. “Knot me knot me please, Alpha, knot _me_ .” He didn’t know what he was asking, why he was suddenly so certain that this was the only thing he ever needed in his life, but he knew if he didn’t get his alpha’s knot in his ass _now_ , he was going to die of want. 

Kellan roared, his back arching with the force of his thrust as he buried himself in Kane, their hips sealed together by the fine sheen of moisture on their skin, slick running down his ass to pool on the bed, soaking the sheets. Kane’s legs locked around his waist, his head falling back and high moans ripping from his throat as the alpha’s knot swelled, stretching him enough to send a frisson of fear up his spine before Shepard rolled his hips. 

The alpha’s brow furrowed with determination, and he worked his knot deeper into him before cocking Kane’s hips at an angle with a sharp jerk that seated the knot in a way that sent pleasure like racing under his skin like lightning and tore Kellan’s name from his lips in a hoarse, victorious scream. He pulsed his release onto his own belly in hot, forceful spurts as his eyes rolled back and his toes curled and the world fell away. 

Kellan collapsed onto him, breathing heavily, and wrapped his arms tightly around him, holding him close. “That good, huh?” he panted before nuzzling Kane’s forehead. “Fuck ethics. You’re mine,” he growled low in his chest. 

“Yours,” Kane exhaled, dazed and shaking. “My Alpha.”

“I’ll get you out of here or die trying,” Kellan breathed against his ear, rolling them onto their sides and tucking Kane close.

The alpha rubbed his cheek against Kane’s hair, breathing heavily, and pressed his knot gently into Kane’s pocket, dragging another strangled moan from his lips. Kane latched onto Kellan’s throat and suckled at the skin in time with the movements of Shepard’s hips and the hand still wrapped around him. Gradually, his breathing slowed and he cuddled into the alpha, splaying his hand over Kellan’s heart, enjoying these precious moments with the man he was beginning to believe truly did love him. 

* * *

Though Kane assured him that the drone was a one-time thing and that Harkin had bought their act, Kellan scanned the Red Room with his omnitool anyway as he’d done every time before. Assured that they were alone and unmonitored, he took his customary seat in the chair, shocked when Kane slid into his lap instead of sitting across from him on the bed. 

He’d spent the entire trip to Tenth Street reminding himself that things had to go back to normal. Last time was a one-time thing, sparked by Harkin’s suspicion and the necessity of keeping up his cover. It had pushed ethical boundaries, but was no worse than other things he’d done in the past for a mission. If he did it again, though, it wouldn’t be for the job. It would be for himself, and _that_ would cross a thousand lines. 

Kane was a slave. Kellan had paid for his time, which essentially made him his master. Kane was a prostitute. He didn’t have the experiential context to understand the difference between what his other clients wanted and what he and Kellan would be doing. Kane belonged to another alpha. Kellan could not honestly promise that he could save him. Kane was his informant. Kellan was in a position of power over him in so many ways it was impossible to count. Kane was an omega. Kellan was an alpha. Kane was driven to obey and to please him. That he’d—reportedly, at least—never experienced that urge with anyone else only made it harder for him to resist. 

All of that went out the window when the little omega slipped into his lap and tucked his nose beneath Kellan’s jaw. His arms wrapped around the smaller man, his nose trailed behind his ear, his dick hardened and strained against his jeans, instantly ready to go. Kane wiggled in his lap, burrowing into his arms with a soft sigh.

“I missed you, Alpha,” he whispered. 

Kellan’s heart clenched. “Me, too,” he admitted. It had only been a few days, but he’d been distracted and out of sorts, able to focus on nothing but the next time he could see his sweet omega. 

He was fucked. 

Kane’s head tipped back and his long, dark lashes brushed against Kellan’s cheek as his soft lips trailed along Kellan’s jaw, asking for a kiss. Kellan indulged him with a groan, their mouths melding, the sweet scent of the omega’s desire sparking a riot in his chest. _His_. Kane was _his_ , damn it. He’d claimed him, taken him, and the knowledge that he’d been with other alphas since him and would be again only made the need to take him again and mark him and ensure that the others _backed the fuck off_ was almost irresistible. 

He broke the kiss with a tortured groan, cupping Kane’s face in his hands. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I’m working. What happened last time can’t happen again, sweetheart. Not until you’re free.”

“An’ the time before that?” Kane asked, sliding his hand up to Kellan’s heart. “What about that one?”

“I have to be professional,” he said. “I can’t take advantage of you.”

Pain lanced behind Kane’s dark eyes and through his scent, turning it metallic and sharp. He ducked his head and slipped backwards off of Kellan’s lap, climbing onto the bed and wrapping his arms around his upraised knees.

“I un’erstand,” he whispered thickly, refusing to meet Kellan’s eyes.

“I don’t think you do,” Kellan said, wanting to reach for him. If he did, he wouldn’t let go. He’d bury himself in him and start making promises he couldn’t keep. He forced himself to stay in the chair. 

“I do,” Kane said flatly. “‘M used to it. It’s fine. Reyes got cut yesterday. All over his chest. Said the client got mad ‘cause he wouldn’ scream. Reyes is...cocky. He don’ let the alphas see him sweat. He might be terrified, but you can’t even smell it on him, he buries it so deep. Apparently, this guy didn’ like that. I don’t know his name, though.” 

Kellan sighed and let him change the subject. It wouldn’t do any good to get his hopes up. This was what needed to happen, even if it killed him that Kane thought he didn’t want him anymore. He knew enough of his history to guess that Kane thought he’d gotten what he wanted from him and had said things he didn’t mean in the heat of the moment. He’d show him he was wrong. He just had to get him out of here first, and that meant he had to do his job. 

“Did you see the client?” he asked.

“No.” 

Not ‘No, Alpha.’ Just that curt answer. He’d heard Kane refer to others as ‘alpha’ before, but his tone had changed when he used it with him. It had meant something different, a claim of his own. One he’d dropped now. 

“What did Harkin do?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

Not surprising. “Has anything else happened?”

“No.”

“Has anyone else expressed concerns or suspicions about us?” he asked.

“No.”

He tipped his head, trying to get Kane to meet his eyes. “Has he gotten any more offers?”

“Yes. They’re hagglin’ over about half a million credits now, I think.” Kane’s arms wrapped tighter around his knees. 

He cursed. Half a million was nothing. Half a million credits at Kane’s value was the difference between Kane looking at Harkin the wrong way one day or Harkin just getting impatient. His only saving grace at this point was that as long as he was here, he was continuing to make money for the brothel, so waiting as long as the batarians were still willing to talk still behooved him. If it stopped doing so or the batarians looked as if they were about to withdraw...there were too many variables and they were now too close for comfort. He had to get the Alliance to outbid them. _Now_. To do that, he needed more evidence.

“I got your omni-tool approved,” he said. “Why don’t we get it installed?”

“Okay.” Kane unfolded himself from the bed and walked into the bathroom. 

Kellan got the supplies from his rucksack and carried them into the small, luxuriously appointed room. Kane sat on the marble countertop with his back to the mirror. Kellan put a fingertip to it to ensure that it wasn’t two-way and started laying out the anesthetic, alcohol wipes, tweezers, scalpel, medigel, and port. 

He scrubbed his hands and drew a pair of gloves on while Kane washed his and then wiped the area clean. Omni-tool installation was a minor outpatient procedure that could be done in any doctor’s office or clinic, but it _was_ technically still surgery. As an N7, Kellan had medical training, but he was more qualified to take things _out_ of people than put them _in_. He’d spent the past two weeks ensuring he could do this without damaging nerves or accidentally nicking a blood vessel, but a bathroom was still not the ideal location for this. 

He injected the anesthetic he’d conned out of Dr. Chakwas and applied a thin film of adhesive surgical drape to the top of Kane’s forearm just behind his wrist to keep the area as clean as possible and keep his hair out of the way. He fabricated a contact to monitor Kane’s vitals and attached it to his other wrist. A quick scan with his omni-tool identified the location of the connector for the haptic implants in Kane’s fingertips that allowed him to use the computers and keyboards without having to don gloves, and he marked it on the dressing. 

Most parents who could afford it had them installed when their children were too young to remember it to save them from needing an uncomfortable series of procedures with an unpleasant recovery later. One of the boys in his basic training unit had gotten it done shortly after basic and he’d had to decide between having to go in for it once but not being able to use his hands for a week or having to have the procedure done twice. Kellan was glad Kane’s parents had at least done that much for him. 

When he was satisfied that the area was as prepared as he could get it, he unwrapped the scalpel from its sterile package. “Ready?” he asked. “You might not want to look.” 

“Ready,” Kane said steadily. 

The omni-tool implant itself was tiny and consisted of a flexible, wafer-thin port into which the omni-tool chip was inserted so that they could be changed out at will. The port was a simple mostly-subdermal implant, but it was connected via an almost invisible layer of filaments to a contact that laid directly on the muscle and relayed electrical impulses to tell the omni-tool to activate. Placing it meant inserting it beneath the skin, thin layer of fat, and connective tissue that covered the muscle, and ensuring that it was positioned in such a way that didn’t hinder Kane’s movement. 

He wondered if Kane’s calm was due to trust or if it stemmed from a lack of care about his own fate or if it was simply obedience to an alpha. Whatever it was, the omega sat quietly, sometimes watching him, sometimes looking around the bathroom, and sometimes resting his head against the mirror with his eyes closed. The sight of his own blood didn’t seem to faze him, though it sparked a primal need to protect him from...what, Kellan didn’t know. Himself?

He worked carefully, keeping a close eye on the time. He should have just paid extra to take Kane to his place and asked Chakwas to come out and do this for him. He used the tweezers to place the contact on the surface of the muscle over the attachment point for the accelerometers in his fingertips. The material was designed to be bio-compatible and would integrate with his muscle before long, making it difficult to remove. 

The placement of the port itself was somewhat trickier. It had to be positioned in such a way that it wouldn’t migrate, work its way out of the skin, or be felt by the user. He forgot his was there when he wasn’t using it. The soft, silicone-like material was flexible enough that it couldn’t be felt through the skin except at the entry point for the chip, which was small and thin and covered in a flexible layer of artificial skin to keep it from getting contaminated with dirt or moisture and make it virtually unnoticeable unless one knew to look for it.

“Got it,” he told Kane, sealing the wound with medigel. “How does that feel?”

“Still can’t feel it,” Kane said. “You numbed me up good.”

“Good.” He peeled off the drape and gently washed Kane’s arm before cleaning up the blood and removing the monitor for his vitals, which had remained steady throughout the procedure.

He put the discarded supplies and bloody gauze into a sealed bag and stuffed it into the rucksack so that Kane didn’t have to explain their presence to Harkin. Kane sat quietly, watching him with those big, dark eyes and running his thumb over the port. Kellan returned to him and inserted the chip into the port, his nostrils flaring at the scent of wounded omega that permeated the air now that the sharp odor of the antiseptic had cleared away. 

He found himself leaning closer to him as he instructed him on its use. Kane twisted his arm to activate the ‘tool and winced. The sight of his pain, however small, and the knowledge that it was his fault was too much. He pulled Kane off of the counter and carried him into the bedroom, tucking Kane’s head against his shoulder and cradling him as he crooned to him. He lifted Kane’s hand and kissed gently around the port and found himself unable to resist trailing his lips up to the omega’s wrist, breathing deeply of the scent of him. 

_This is a bad idea. Slow down, Kel. He’s vulnerable._

“Kellan,” Kane moaned, shifting in his lap and trailing soft, warm kisses up the side of his neck. “Please. They’re gonna be checking scent more careful now, it’s riskier not to do it than to do it and I want you. It’s not...you don’ have to love me, just make it feel better. It _aches_ when I’m near you and ‘m not allowed to touch you. _Please_ , Kellan.”

“Oh, Kane,” he sighed, giving into the urge to roll them over and settle between his thighs. “It’s not that. I promise.”

Need, uncertainty, and a thread of fear colored Kane’s scent. “Was it really jus’ for the camera? Would you fuck Maya like that? Or Vega or Reyes?” 

“No,” he said softly. “No, I wouldn’t have done anyone else like that. Only you.”

“Then show me,” Kane said, his dark eyes luminous. “This hurts, Alpha. I don’ wanna be nothin’ to you.” His face crumpled and he buried it in Kellan’s shoulder, muttering something about being stupid and knowing better.

“You are _not_ ‘nothing’ to me,” Kellan said fiercely, gently fisting a hand in his hair and drawing his head back. “You are _everything_ to me, Kane. You’re _mine_ , and I am doing my damnedest to get you out of here without compromising either of us or taking advantage of you. But you can’t truly be mine when you don’t even know what that means. You don’t know what it means to be _yours_ , so how can you give me what you’ve never been allowed to possess?”

“Stop talkin’ to me like I’m too stupid to know myself or what I want!” Kane shouted. “ _You_ make me feel like a slave. You make choices for me without takin’ what I want into account. You think you know what’s good for me more’n I do. You won’t let _me_ decide!”

“I don’t want you to think you love me just because I’m the first alpha who’s ever been kind to you and then get you out of here and realize I’m nowhere near what you want,” Kellan said. “I don’t want you to sleep with me because you think you love me because you don’t know any better because you’ve never had the experience.”

Kane took Kellan’s hand and pressed it to the omega’s chest over his racing heart. “You do this. _You_. Nobody else. Not Kahoku, an’ he’s nice to me and ‘m pretty sure he’s in love with me. Not Conrad Verner, an’ he’s been kind to me since he realized he hurt me. Not Joker, an’ he’s been my best friend and we’ve fucked every six months for years now. Nobody but you makes me feel like this. You are _not_ the first person to be nice to me an’ I am not weak enough to fall for someone anymore jus’ because they are. They don’ do this to me, either.” He moved Kellan’s hand to his ass where he could feel the wet heat even through his cotton pants. Kane moaned, rocking against his fingers. “Nobody makes me want it like you. Knot me, Kellan. Fuckin’ knot me, _please_.” 

Kellan growled deep in his chest, rational thought fleeing at the omega’s desperate plea. He drew back just far enough to flip Kane onto his belly and jerk his hips up so that the smaller man was on his knees and yanked his pants down to reveal that tight, pert ass already glistening with slick. He stripped off his shirt to get it out of the way and popped the buttons on his jeans, shoving them down just far enough to free himself.

“I don’t want to go easy,” he said against Kane’s ear. “I want to _take_ you.”

Kane mewled, dropping down onto his forearms and tilting his ass up, a drop of moisture dripping from his tip to darken the sheet beneath him. Kellan palmed him, stroking him and watching the omega thrust helplessly into his hand, his fingers clutching at the sheets. 

Kellan ducked his head and licked from the base of his spine to the nape of his neck before biting down on his shoulder and thrusting smoothly into the omega’s wet, hot passage. Living silk conformed around him, gripping and molding to him as Kane moaned sharply, desperation and longing musking his normally citrus scent. 

His hips snapped, their skin slapping together, the sounds falling from Kane’s lips driving him on. He stroked the omega’s length in tandem with his thrusts inside him, keeping his teeth buried in his shoulder just short of breaking skin. Heaven. This was heaven and he needed more, needed to be closer, needed to claim him, show him how fucking much he wanted him, loved him, needed him. His free hand reached out, seeking and finding Kane’s, and he linked his fingers with the omega’s, squeezing his hand.

“Bite me,” Kane gasped, his head falling back against Kellan’s shoulder. “Do it. Bite me. Make me yours.” 

His control snapped, his sharp canines sinking into the crook of Kane’s neck as he drove into him. Kane gave a keening wail, his walls flexing around Kellan. The sensation pushed out all others, bringing his attention to a laser-focus centered on the wet heat enveloping him. He buried himself in it with a deep moan, his jaw flexing as his knot swelled and ecstasy sunburst in his chest. 

_MINE._

His muscles strained as he pressed into the little omega with all of his might and twisted Kane’s hips into position to allow his knot to seat correctly. Kane shouted his name, spilling over his hand in thick, hot ropes that made Kellan shudder in satisfaction. He’d pleased his omega. He’d done that when no one else had. The surprise that colored Kane’s scent whenever he came told him that clearer than words ever could. 

They parted with only seconds to spare before the end of their time, each of them unwilling to release the other. Kellan nuzzled Kane’s forehead and kissed him softly. 

“The omni-tool has my contact in it. Message me any time, day or night. If I can, I’ll answer.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Kane sighed. “See you soon.” 


	20. Chapter 20

Harkin barged into Kane’s cell as he was slicking back his hair for his night out with Kellan. His tummy was already flipping at the idea of being outside of the center, going to Kellan’s place and into the city with him. Like a real date. And it had occurred to him that he was going to be with both Kellan and Kahoku, surrounded by Alliance people. Harkin couldn’t force him to come back once he was gone. All he had to do was find a recruiter. If nothing else, Kellan could drive him to one. He could get out. He could be free. 

The sour alpha must have thought of that as well, because he stalked up to Kane and clapped a narrow bracelet around his wrist. “Tracker,” he said. “Can’t stop you from running, but I’ll know if you do.” He looked around the narrow cell with a sneer. “You got any idea how much batarian slavers would pay for a virgin omega?”

“I’m not—”

“Joker is. Never taken a knot, you know. Wonder how many he could take before they broke him into little pieces.” Harkin’s cold eyes locked onto Kane. “You be back on time tomorrow, or I’ll make that deal for him instead of you. Understand me, Princess?”

Kane ground his teeth together. His fingernails bit into his palms hard enough to burn. He could clearly see himself grabbing the vile alpha by the nape of his neck and shoving his head through the cinderblock wall. Never before had he wanted to _kill_ a living being, but the urge was so strong that he clenched his hands till he drew blood from his palms. 

“I understand, alpha,” he ground out. 

_Clang_. Another door closed. He wouldn’t let that fate befall his best and only friend. That was too high a price to pay for freedom. He didn’t need the damn bracelet to ensure that he came back. Joker was all the leash the alpha required, and Harkin damn well knew it. Someday. Someday, he was going to watch the light leave his goddamn eyes.

Harkin laughed, deducing at least the gist of his thoughts through his scent and judging him not a threat. “If you’re ever feelin’ froggy, Princess, you just go ahead and hop up on this lily pad,” he sneered. When Kane didn’t move, he laughed again, turned on his heel, and left. 

God, he hated that man.

* * *

Kellan opened the door to the nondescript, small apartment on the third floor of the building in a slightly nicer section of the city, holding it for the astonished omega to walk through. It was almost cute the way that Kane’s face showed his amazement at the urban environment. The omega’s nostrils flared, breathing in his scent that permeated the apartment. 

_“_ Welcome to my home, such as it is _,”_ Kellan said, carefully hanging up the rental suit on the coat rack before making his way to the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”

Kane followed him, eyes wide as he took it in. “No, thank you. All of this is yours?” he asked wonderingly. “Just for you? Nobody else lives here?”

“Uh, it’s actually pretty small, but yeah. Just me. I don’t need much space.” 

He pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and hip-checked the door closed before leaning his ass on the counter, taking a swig of it. He watched Kane take it in, feeling a warm satisfaction at finally having his omega in his space instead of surrounded by other alphas and omegas fucking each other. It was just them here.

“We have about an hour and a half before we need to leave,” he informed him, wondering if he could control himself enough to take him quickly before they started getting ready. The image of Kane spread out over his countertop or in his bed or up against the shower wall was almost too much for him to resist. 

The omega flushed, slowly rubbing his hands together and peering around again, his dark eyes catching every detail. “We could fit at least seven people in a space this big. Our whole day room would fit in yours twice, and we all share it. And people live in entire buildings like this. It’s...I feel like a…” His brow furrowed. “I used to live in a house, I think. With stairs. I remember stairs. And a dark sitting room. No windows. Or maybe they were always closed? But I guess I forgot. I feel kind of dumb for being so...surprised by a house.”

Kellan cocked his head to the side, listening quietly. The omega’s scent was anxious, with embarrassment and hope woven through it. “Don’t feel dumb, sweetheart. I grew up on space stations and ships, so apartments like this are still a little odd to me, too. On a starship, this space would house at least half a dozen. You’re right.” He took another sip and set the empty bottle by the sink, pushing himself off of the counter and heading towards the bedroom. “It’s going to take me a little bit to make myself presentable. You’re welcome to come in and keep me company if you want.”

Kane nodded and followed demurely, rubbing his thumb against his palm. Uncertainty drifted from him, tinted with a vulnerability that he hadn’t shown even when he was dressed up in that awful robe and nothing else. 

“Whatever you want, Alpha,” he said. A faint coppery sweet smell tickled Kellan’s nose a moment, then was gone.

“I want you to relax and be comfortable. So if you want to follow me to the bedroom while I get dressed, that’s fine. If you want to stay out here, also fine. You can even take a nap if you’d like.” 

He checked the time on his omni-tool and picked up the rental suit for Kane on his way down the hall. They might as well get ready together. He hung it up on the closet door next to his sharp, pressed uniform. It was almost comical how drastic the difference was just in length alone.

Kane trailed after him like a puppy, the anxious pheromones drifting off of him making Kellan feel...adrift on his behalf. Kane tucked himself up in the corner by the door, out of the way, watching silently. The alpha caught a hint of the tang in the air again and glanced at the younger man; he was worrying his fingertips over his palms and a fresh wave of sweet copper hit his nose. Kellan stood in front of him, brow furrowed as he held out a hand palm up, nodding towards the omega’s hands. 

Kane bit his lip and placed them on Kellan’s, revealing a row of scabbed-over crescent moons dug into his palms. At the touch, relief seeped into the anxiety and a bit of the tension left the omega’s shoulders. He leaned closer, nostrils flaring.

The furrow in Kellan’s brow deepened at the sight, and he brought the omega’s palms closer to inspect the wounds. He had to fight the compulsion to nuzzle and lick them clean; _that_ was a primitive urge. 

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s clean these up. What happened?” He gently tugged Kane with him into the bathroom attached to the bedroom, flicking on the lights and reluctantly dropping his hand to get antiseptic and medigel.

“I was trying not to kill Harkin,” Kane admitted. “I wanted to, but...he’s bigger than me and I think he’d just hurt me instead.”

Kellan could feel his mood souring at the mention of the other alpha; the man was an absolute swine. The omega’s anxiety was spreading over him, and he fought to keep his shoulders even and voice and actions relaxed. 

“What did he do this time?” 

He picked Kane up and sat him on the edge of the counter, nudging his legs apart and standing between them while he cleaned the semi-circles pressed into Kane’s palms. He tried to push away the images sparked by their positions. It could wait. His omega was wounded. Kane’s big, dark eyes remained on his, his hands curled loosely, allowing Kellan to work. 

It wouldn’t be feasible, anyway, he reminded himself. The countertop wouldn’t be comfortable for any sustained amount of time for anyone to sit on it bare-assed and— _No_. He stopped that thought in its tracks; he was working, and their last encounters were thrilling but almost crossed a million ethical lines, if not outright smashing through them. He’d been able to justify them at the brothel where Harkin was on the alert for anything that might signify that they were anything other than what he was purporting himself to be, but there was no one here to convince. His excuses didn’t apply here. 

Kane leaned forward, resting his cheek against Kellan’s arm and looking down at their hands. “He said he’d send Joker to the batarians in my place if I didn’t come back after tonight. That’s a tracker around my wrist, not a bracelet. He’ll see if I run, and Joker will have to take my place.” Kane’s eyes flickered up to his for long enough to say, “Joker has brittle bone disease. He can’t take a knot. They’d kill him, but they’d break every bone in his body first. I...was going to ask you to help me escape tonight, but I can’t let that happen. He’s taken care of me for years. I have to take care of him, too.”

Tension he hadn’t realized he was holding leaked out of his shoulders as the omega leaned on him. “How trustworthy is he? No promises, but if I can turn him into a source, I might be able to include him in the buyout deal I’m trying to get Kahoku to approve.” He gently cleaned the wounds and dabbed medigel on them.

“I trust him with my life,” Kane said. “But I also know he’s susceptible to Harkin in ways he can’t control. If Harkin orders him to tell what’s going on and Joker can’t find a way to subvert the order and get around it, he has to tell him. He’s good at doing that, though. He almost never gets stuck.” Kane sighed. “The worst part is, if I wasn’t his friend, he’d be safe. Harkin doesn’t mind him and he gets paid to take care of him, so he wouldn’t touch him. Except now he’s a weapon against me.”

“That is an untenable position. Let’s patch you up first, and then we’ll figure out a way to save the omegas, okay?” The medigel already starting to bind the edges of Kane’s skin and heal it at an accelerated rate. Kellan rested his hands on the omega’s thighs, eye-to-eye with him for once and acutely aware of the blood rushing around his body and thundering in his ears.

Kane dragged his lower lip between his teeth and nodded, his eyes flicking between Kellan’s eyes and his mouth and jaw. He leaned in and rested his forehead against Kellan’s shoulder, a fine tremor running through him. 

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“You’re welcome,” he said quietly, heat pooling in his groin at the memory of the omega writhing on him, slick and begging to be taken. It was all he could do to stop himself from flipping Kane over and doing just that again. 

Kane sat back and looked at him again, his nostrils flared and a delicate flush tingeing his neck and jaw. His hand moved to rest lightly on Kellan’s waist, thumb sliding beneath his shirt to trace over his skin. A slender finger traced down Kellan’s chest and Kane flashed him a coy smile. 

He slid his thumbs lightly along the inside of Kane’s thighs, losing himself in the omega’s beautiful dark eyes. It was a bit fanciful, but he thought if he stared deep enough, he might see stars and galaxies spinning in the liquid depths. 

“Anything else we need to patch up?” he asked softly. “While we’re here, anyway.”

“No,” Kane said breathlessly, his thighs parting further and his heels hooking along the back of Kellan’s legs.

“Mmm…” Kellan allowed that to pull him closer to the omega, his nose serendipitously close to Kane’s ear. He inhaled deeply, running the tip of his nose behind the smooth shell of his ear, and the warm spice of desire and comfort swept over him. The last of the omega’s tension drained away, leaving him relaxed in his arms. “Good. Otherwise, I might have to lodge a complaint.” His omni-tool pinged with a reminder alert and he sighed in exasperation. _“_ Damn _._ We need to get ready if we want to be on time.”

“‘Fashionably late’ is a thing, right?” Kane joked, tipping his head to trail the tip of his nose down the length of Kellan’s. Warm lips brushed over his, a soft smile forming on the omega’s mouth. “I’m comfortable right here.”

The alpha groaned deep in his chest, not wanting to move and willing the tightness in his jeans to go away. “I can make you _un_ comfortable…” he teased, squeezing the omega’s thighs and running his fingers along the backs of his knees to tickle him.

“That’s an ide—unfh! Alpha! Not like that!” Kane squealed, kicking a foot out. He clung to Kellan, giggling furiously. “No! Stop! Please stop!” he chortled, squirming. His fingers found the ticklish spot on the back of Kellan’s shoulder that he’d accidentally poked before.

“Hey- oh, now you’ve done it,” he warned playfully as he flinched, dragging the omega off the counter and tossing him over his shoulder like a caveman. Kane’s peals of laughter echoed around the small room. He slapped the lights off in the bathroom and made his way out to the modest bedroom again, tossing the omega onto the mattress. “There’s no such thing as ‘fashionably late’ in the military. On time is late. Fifteen minutes early is on time.”

Kane grinned breathlessly up at him, stretching like a cat and causing the hem of his shirt to ride up just enough to reveal a strip of golden skin. “Yes, but it doesn’t take _that_ long to get dressed. And you’re not on duty _yet_ ….” Kane’s heated gaze swept over him like a touch. “We could play around.”

“Not on duty officially, but on the clock covertly, per the norm,” Kellan replied, eyes locked onto the bare skin, nostrils flaring. He was pointedly trying to ignore the blatant invitation. It had mixed results. Disappointment filled the air around the omega. “Though...we could probably do something for _you_.”

“What do you mean?” Kane asked, brow furrowing. “And if you’re on the clock ‘covertly,’ when do you ever get to get off it? Even I have downtime.”

“I’m on a mission. My ‘downtime’ is meals and sleeping, and even then I’m on call if something happens that needs my attention. If I do well, I might be able to take shore leave at the end for a little while.”

“How’s that work and not just another kind of slavery?” he asked. 

“I get paid for it. And I _mean_ …” he said, prowling around the edge of the bed, eyes locked onto the omega. “That if we’re quick, we can probably get you off. If you want.”

Kane’s scent burst into a riot of notes. Sharp disappointment twined with sadness and vied with confusion underlaid with a hint of hope and a shock of desire. 

“Me?” he asked. “Me and not you?”

“Mmhm.” He checked his omni-tool again: an hour until they absolutely had to leave and it would take him at least half that to get ready. “Think we can?” 

The voice in the back of his head screamed about ethics, and he willed it to be silenced. It wasn’t taking advantage if the other person was asking for it. And he _did_ have a point…he wasn’t officially on-duty at the moment….

Kane blinked at him, disbelief covering the other scents. “You’re shitting me.” Kane’s eyes widened and he bit his lip, hope and shyness fluttering around him. 

“No shit, baby,” he said, crawling onto the bed and sliding a hand under Kane’s shirt. 

He unfastened the buttons of his jeans and slid the material down, wrapping his lips around the omega’s straining erection and sliding his fingers into his slick passage. Kane, braced on his elbows to watch him, let his head drop back, a wanton moan rolling from his lips. His thighs trembled as his hips rose helplessly, his tip sliding over the back of Kellan’s tongue. He opened his throat, allowing Kane’s length to move freely in his mouth and drawing another of those delicious moans from his lips.

Gone was the uncertainty, the vulnerability. He smelled like pure desire, need made scent. Kellan’s hands trailed up his strong thighs to his hips and around to the dense muscle of his tight, wet ass. He’d never smelled better and Kellan’s own erection throbbed almost painfully with the need to be inside him, but Kane had looked so shocked at the idea that an alpha would do something just for him that he ruthlessly controlled his own desires, his focus on sating his omega. 

A rush of slick met his fingers and Kellan smoothed his hand over the omega’s wet skin, coating his fingers and wrapping them around Kane’s length as he drew off of it and kissed his way down. Kane fell back onto the bed when Kellan sucked one of the omega’s balls into his mouth, and arched up off of it again when he continued lower, stroking his tongue between the omega’s wet cheeks. 

Kane’s shocked, sharp inhale and the pressure of his short nails against Kellan’s shoulder were all the encouragement he needed. He lapped at him until Kane was writhing, begging him to take him, the sheets wet with slick and moisture pooling on his belly from his leaking tip. Only then did he slide two fingers into him and swallow his length again, sucking him down until Kellan’s nose pressed against Kane’s skin. 

A blue glow enveloped the omega as Kellan’s fingers thrust into him, harder and faster, sliding over his spot with each stroke. Kane’s cries were loud enough that the neighbors could likely hear. Let them. Let them all know that Kane was his, that he was taking him, claiming him, making him scream and beg and squirm. He swept his fingers around Kane’s pocket, hot slick pouring into his palm as the muscles spasmed around him and Kane arched off of the bed, spurting his release into Kellan’s mouth with another sharp cry. He curled his fingers to simulate a knot, turning his hand so that it would seat properly in the offset pocket, and pressed his knuckles against his prostate, sucking down his release. 

When Kane collapsed back against the bed, fighting for breath, his eyes glazed, Kellan moved up him and kissed him deeply. Their tongues slid together, and Kane’s arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close. Kellan gave in and leg the omega pull him to him, lying next to him and gathering the smaller man in his arms.

“I love you,” Kane whispered, tucking his nose in the spot under Kellan’s jaw that made him melt and feel ten feet tall and bulletproof all at the same time.

Knowing he shouldn’t say it, knowing it crossed far more lines than sleeping with him, he echoed, “I love you, too, baby.”


	21. Chapter 21

They were late. Kellan managed to control himself enough not to have sex with the omega, even when Kane had tried to reciprocate with him, but he hadn’t been able to convince himself to leave the bed until a full fifteen minutes after he should have started dressing. Kane just smelled too good, too alluring, and he didn’t want to take him into public where other alphas would be sniffing around him. 

The desire to keep him to himself only strengthened when he saw him dressed in the suit Kellan had acquired for him. The cut was as perfect as if he’d taken him to the tailor himself, fitted in all the right places and enhancing his already beautiful form. The rich, deep blue brought out the warmth of Kane’s skin, and the omega appeared to hold himself a little straighter, square his shoulders a little more, walk a little prouder. The newfound confidence was sexy as hell, and it was all Kellan could do not to go feral alpha on his cute little ass and insist on holing up in bed with him for the next week. 

He typically enjoyed events like these. His desire to rise politically didn’t come from any particularly noble ideology. He understood it, he enjoyed it, and he was good at it. He had a knack for recognizing the long-term ramifications of decisions being made. He could read people and determine what they wanted, needed, and would agree to. He could easily envision the connections between groups of people, and it was a simple matter for him to keep up with which parties had relations with each other and what the nature of them was. He knew who was feuding, who was friendly only on the surface, who had alliances with whom. To top it off, he was a good leader and people followed and respected him. They believed in him. He might claim to think of himself as a mere soldier rather than a politician when he needed to look humble, but his aspirations were an open secret. 

Bringing a prostitute to a political event as an escort was risky, but the brothel portion of his investigation was concluded. Kane had planted the virus that allowed him to view Harkin’s computer in real time, and soon he would be able to use that connection to infiltrate the other brothels in the district to learn whether the abuses were restricted to Chora’s Den or if it was an institutional problem. 

Now, it was a matter of getting Parliament to act on the information Kane had helped him uncover and the Alliance to agree to Kane’s purchase. Joker’s as well. Though if Parliament came through, none of them might need to be bought or sold ever again. If they could either be convinced to support regulations against enslaving omegas and requiring humane treatment or supporting the Andromeda Initiative, then Kane and the others would be free. 

They could be together. They could bond. Or, rather, Kane could stop taking the pills that prevented him from bonding and could do so with him. Kellan was afraid it was too late for him. All it would take was a bite in the right spot, and Kellan would be tied to him until he could find a way to force it to break unless Kane was also able to bond to him. He would, he realized without surprise. He would and he would love it. In the meantime, he would simply pay for Kane’s time out of his own pocket, which meant that this event was the last one where fucking ethics would come into play.

The event was hosted in one of the conference spaces at base HQ, a large room carpeted in a pale blue with life-sized portraits of various Alliance officials on the walls. Round tables dotted the room with a long table against one wall laden with food and drink. Another row of long tables sat at the head of the room with a microphone in front of each seat for the panel that consisted of a representative for the admiralty, one for the Defense Committee, an alpha, an omega, and the Speaker of Parliament.

Kane remained close to his side while Kellan went around the room to greet the members of Parliament who’d come, his manner demure and polite without being obsequious. The perfect politician’s omega, despite his worries about saying or doing the wrong thing. 

When Kane whispered, “Don’ forget to wish Mrs. Stanley’s daughter a happy birthday, Alpha,” Kellan nearly dragged him into a broom closet right then and there to take him. 

They finally joined Kahoku at his table and Kellan bit back a snarl when the old man trailed a hand down Kane’s arm in greeting and the omega tipped his head for him. Kane picked up on it immediately and tucked himself up under Kellan’s arm, wrapping one of his own around Kellan’s waist and rubbing his cheek against one of the few spots on Kellan’s uniform that wasn’t lined with medals or nametapes or ribbons or other accoutrements that would have hurt his face. 

Kellan held him close, listening intently as Kahoku bitched in polite, couched terms about how little attention Parliament had paid to their report thus far and his frustration at the betas’ continued institutionalized mistreatment of their kind. The event dragged out, but Kane remained attentive through the panel during which Kellan contemplated Kane’s assertion that it was a deliberate attempt at genocide. He found himself having to work harder and harder to deny or counter it. The Andromeda Initiative was going to be vital. 

As the night wore on and the betas finally left, the omegas present grew more comfortable until they were almost all curled up with their alphas or sitting at their feet on thick, plush cushions the event provided for that purpose. Kellan had never been the type to want his omega kneeling at his feet, so he insisted that he remain seated, but when his omega climbed into his lap and cuddled close, he smelled so good that Kellan couldn’t bring himself to object. 

Kane did, however, object when Kellan sat him aside to go back to the food bar for more hors d'oeuvres and Kate came up to speak with him. The redhead was the one to write the VI program that had helped them crawl Harkin’s computer. She was also an unbonded omega. His nostrils flared when she drew close, but as with every other one he’d gotten near recently, she smelled good but not alluring.

“Hey, big guy,” Kate said, bumping him with her shoulder. 

“Hello,” he smiled down at her, reaching for one of the little sausages wrapped in a croissant that events like these always seemed to serve. “The program you wrote for me worked well. Thank you.”

“Any time,” she said, popping a grape into her mouth with a saucy grin. “Going to tell me what’s with the escort? I never imagined you needing to pay for it, Kel.”

“He’s the one I needed the favor for,” he said. “His status is temporary. I hope.”

Kane came up to him and slid an arm around his waist, tipping his head back to look up at him. “Alpha,” he purred, surreptitiously running a finger over his hip. “Who’s your friend?”

He wrapped an arm around his shoulders, wanting to bury his nose behind Kane’s ear but resisting the urge. “This is Kate. She’s the one I told you about. Kate, this is Kane.” 

Kane’s nostrils flared and he rumbled a warning in his chest, his lip curling to display the edge of his teeth and his eyes narrowing on the other omega. Kate laughed and shook her head, unoffended, and shot him an amused grin. 

“Possessive, isn’t he?” she snickered. “I’ll let you get back to your date. Just wanted to say hello. It was, ah, nice to meet you, Kane.” She sauntered off with a jaunty wave over her shoulder. 

“I don’t like her,” Kane grumbled.

“You’re jealous,” Kellan said with a grin.

“No,” Kane pouted, tightening his hold on him. “I jus’ don’ like her.”

“Okay,” he chuckled. “I don’t like her as anything other than a friend. Like I told you the first time we talked, I am definitely not straight. I’ve never been with a female and don’t ever intend to be.”

Kane relaxed slightly and rubbed his cheek against Kellan’s rib. An alpha Kellan didn’t recognize came up to the table and leaned close to Kane, his nostrils flaring, and it was Kellan’s turn to give a possessive growl. Rage swept through him at the idea of the alpha’s hands on his omega.

The other alpha started to snarl back before shaking his head and blinking at the food table as if he’d forgotten why he was there. Kellan shot him a curious look before ushering Kane back to their seats. The omega climbed into his lap again and tucked up against him, easing the remaining tension out of him. 

Kahoku was at the podium in the front and said, “The Initiative is the best opportunity for alphas and omegas since the First Contact War. Because it is an alpha/omega-run program and betas are restricted from joining, it provides us with the chance to find a homeworld that is ruled by our people with leaders and laws we choose.”

“Then why are you allowing aliens to join?” an alpha in an Alliance uniform asked.

“If at least a quarter of our people chooses to come with us, there will still be more than enough of us to form a new population, especially with frozen embryos, but we would be a small enough group that any setbacks could be devastating. Including aliens gives us a larger community, increases our ability to work with any eventualities we may face, and keeps us from becoming insular in the way of the quarians. It also should aid us in appearing less like invaders or conquerors and more like the explorers we are.”

“What happens if we get there and nothing is inhabitable?” an omega asked.

An alpha in a tailored suit drifted close to their table, his eyes locked on Kane and his nostrils flared. The little omega was fully relaxed in his arms and Kellan tightened them protectively around him and curled his lip to warn him away. No one was taking Kane from him. The alpha’s step hitched and he changed direction. Kane burrowed closer with a sigh, his hand fisting in Kellan’s uniform jacket. It would wrinkle, but he didn’t care.

“That is the reason for the Nexus. It is designed to be a fully self-sustaining space station. We will have sufficient materials for expansion. The Arks will help to power it and their eezo cores will be able to do that indefinitely. If absolutely nothing in Heleus is habitable, then we will be able to live on the Nexus until we either find a new home in a different cluster or determine that we need to return to the Milky Way. The latter would not be ideal, but surely adventurers willing to travel to a completely different galaxy would not balk at the idea of a little time travel,” Kahoku answered with a little chuckle at his own joke.

Kahoku took questions for another hour, and by the time he rejoined them at their table, Kane was dozing softly in his arms. Kahoku leaned in, his brow furrowed and nostrils flared and looked up at Kellan as he growled a warning at him. Kane was _his_ , not Kahoku’s. 

“You need to take him home,” Kahoku said softly. “Quickly.”

“Why?” Kellan asked, stroking a hand through Kane’s hair as the omega shifted in his lap, pressing closer to him, and the scent of his desire met his nose. He breathed deep, trying to bite back a groan. 

“He’s going into heat,” Kahoku answered. 

“His heats are scheduled,” Kellan said. “He’s not due for another...two weeks, I think.” 

“I’m aware of the schedule,” the older alpha said. “But I’ve purchased enough of his heats to recognize the change to his scent, even early as it seems to be. His skin is flushed as well.” He leaned in again and sniffed subtly. “Ah. It’s not his heat. It’s your rut. He’s responding to _you_. Did you not make arrangements for it?”

Kellan stilled, taking stock of himself. He’d thought of little more than sex when he’d had Kane alone earlier and hadn’t wanted to bring him around other alphas. Thinking too hard about Kahoku having been with Kane during heat made him want to _kill_ the man, and never mind that he was his boss. And his last rut was...six months ago.

_Shit._

“You need to take him home and call Harkin to inform him that he will be remaining with you for a couple days,” Kahoku said.

“But, ethically—” 

“Purchase his time yourself,” Kahoku said simply. “If you cannot afford it, I’ll make a gift of it to you. He wants you, and not because he’s been ordered to pretend. I can see it in his mannerisms and smell it on him. His feelings for you are genuine. Where is the ethical quandary in that?” 

Kane whimpered and wriggled around so that his back was to Kellan’s chest, his eyes still closed. “Knot me.” 

The plea was so soft that Kellan almost didn’t hear it, but when Kane squirmed again, grinding his ass against Kellan’s lap and moaned, “ _Knot me_ ,” he dragged his nose behind the omega’s ear and was met with the most delicious scent he’d ever smelled in his life. 

Kane’s grip on his jacket tightened and his eyes fluttered open, his lips parted and breathing heavy. He curled slightly in on himself, his hand going to his belly, and looked up at Kellan with wide eyes. 

“Knot me, Alpha,” he whispered. 

Kahoku gave a strangled groan and pushed his chair back, tugging at his collar. “You do it or I swear I will.”

“You’ll keep your fucking hands off of him,” Kellan warned with a snarl, wrapping his hands around Kane’s thighs and picking him up. 

He didn’t know where he was going. He only knew that Kane’s teeth were grazing against his throat and the omega smelled like sex and heat and thick, heady desire and the slick coating his ass and that if he didn’t get inside him _now_ , he was going to explode. Den. He needed a den. Finding an empty supply closet, he closed the door and lowered Kane to his feet, turning him so that the omega’s back was to his chest again and grinding himself against his ass. 

Burying his nose behind Kane’s ear as he unfastened their pants and pushed them down, sliding his aching erection between Kane’s soaking ass cheeks, he murmured, “Do you want me to make it better, omega?” 

“Oh, god, knot me, knot me, please,” Kane begged, discovery brightening the scent that wrapped around them like a warm blanket.

Kellan bent his knees and lined himself up with Kane’s entrance, slamming into him. His hand found Kane’s, raising them over his head and pinning them against the rack of shelves in front of them as he pounded into him. His other hand wrapped around his length, stroking firmly. Kane’s moans echoed around the confined space. 

“Mine,” Kellan muttered mindlessly against his skin. “My omega, mine, my Kane. Love you, need you, want you, _mine_.”

“Harder,” Kane whined, shoving back against him, his biotics flaring softly around him, casting a faint blue glow to the room when Kellan’s hips snapped in response. “Ohh god, yes, Alpha! Harder! Fuck me harder! Knot me! Knot me!”

A part of him recognized that people could probably hear him all the way back in the conference room, but where it would normally have him urging Kane to be quieter, he shifted his angle to drive himself over the omega’s prostate and bit down on his shoulder through the suit, driving into him as hard as he could. The omega took it with a joyous cry, meeting him thrust for thrust. 

“Anything,” Kane panted. “Anything you want. ‘M yours. Yours, Kellan, I’ll do anything. Take me, knot me, god, please, I _need_ you….”

Kellan buried himself with a strangled moan, pulsing his release into him as Kane spilled over into his hand, shouting his name, his body alight. Before he could do it, Kane had hitched his hips to seat his knot and Kellan’s knees threatened to buckle. He’d never felt anything so right, so perfect, as his omega’s pocket caressing his knot, milking him as he filled him. 

His hand drifted down to splay over Kane’s belly as he rested his forehead on the omega’s shoulder, breathing heavily and continuing to release into him. Kane was in heat. They were making a baby. A family. There wasn’t a damn thing that would stop him from saving him now. If it meant storming the facility alone and carrying Kane and Joker out on his goddamn shoulders, he would. If he had to kill Harkin, he’d damn well kill Harkin. 

“Mine,” he whispered. “My omega, my baby. Mine.”

“Don’t,” Kane groaned. “Don’ make promises that’ll just fade when rut’s over.”

“I won’t,” he swore. “I love you, Kane. You’re mine.”

He tucked his nose behind Kane’s ear again, nuzzling and holding him until his knot finally receded. He needed to get him home or they would spend the next three days fucking in this closet with no food or water or bathroom nearby, at least not one that he’d be willing to let Kane out of his sight to get to, and he’d likely kill any alpha who came too close. He could still think rationally, so the rut hadn’t set in completely yet. They still had time, though they’d be cutting it close.

His omni-tool pinged with a message from Kahoku. _My skycar is at your disposal. It’s parked in back. You know the one. I contacted Miranda and explained the situation. She will meet you at your apartment to ensure that I have told the truth and to bring supplies._

Thank god for Kahoku. Kellan helped Kane clean himself up and pulled his own pants up, kissing the omega softly before leading him out of the small room. They met no one in the hallways, meaning that they’d probably been overheard, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. In six months, he wouldn’t be here anymore anyway. They would be on their way to Andromeda. He wasn’t having his baby raised in a world like this where he or she had to fear the betas. 

* * *

Kane tucked close behind Kellan as he jerked open the apartment door and curled his lip at the beta on the other side. His hands rested on the alpha’s hips, thumbs tucked into the waistband of the pants he’d tugged on when Miranda knocked. Her timing, at least, had been such that they’d been able to go at each other against the wall when they’d stumbled in the door and finish. But Kellan had started nuzzling at him again and his belly was cramping, so it still could have been better. He peeked out from behind the alpha, half-afraid she was going to try to grab him and take him away. Kellan must have had the same thought because he shifted so Miranda couldn’t see him.

“You see him. You smell him. Give me what you’ve got and go,” the alpha growled. “I sent Harkin the creds.”

“Morning-after pill,” she said, handing him a small bottle. “Make sure he takes it or Harkin will probably beat him to death instead of selling him. And he’s due for his bonding suppressants, but I seem to have forgotten them, so try not to bite each other.”

With that, she turned and left. Kellan slammed the door, turning to him and tossing the bottle onto the counter before picking him up and carrying him into the bedroom where they tumbled together onto the bed. Kellan’s zipper was loud in the quiet room, and then there was a familiar pressure against his ass and Kane was bowing up to take him, moaning loudly.

He’d never understood what omegas enjoyed about heat until now. The cramps were still unpleasant when he wasn’t knotted, but Kellan smelled like baking bread and cookies and home and sex and everything good in the world and Kane couldn’t get _close enough_ and he _needed_ him. 

He’d thought he knew what that meant, but he hadn’t had a clue. This need was different, gnawing and tearing and all-consuming, making his skin too tight from his scalp to his toes and slick drip down the backs of his legs and he felt like he was going _crazy_ when Kellan wasn’t inside him, like he would _die_ if he couldn’t be tied to him.

“Alpha!” he wailed, wrapping his legs around Kellan’s waist and drawing in a sharp inhale when the big man wrapped a wet, long-fingered hand around his length. His words ran together, incoherent mutterings, his own heat-speak. “Alpha, oh god, Alpha, please, anything I’ll do anything for you yours I’m yours I’m ohhh god please don’t stop don’t ever stop!” 

Kellan’s teeth grazed over his shoulder as he drove into Kane like he was trying to force their bodies to meld into one. An arm slid around his hips, holding him at the angle the alpha wanted, calloused fingers digging into his skin hard enough to leave bruises as he rutted on him. Kane’s ramblings melted into high, wordless cries of pleasure. He couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, couldn’t _see_ through the haze of lust clouding his vision. 

The other man’s hips slammed into him again, their skin slapping loudly, and his back arched, his muscles tense as he spilled into Kane with a guttural moan, his knot swelling and pushing against the point that had stars exploding against his eyes. His own release spurted over his belly and he writhed, seeking that sweet spot Kellan had found that made worlds collide. The alpha jerked his hip, seating himself, and Kane’s body lit with dark energy, his strangled scream echoing off the walls. 

“ _Mine_.” 

The alpha’s sharp teeth sank into his shoulder and a rush of liquid fire surged through Kane’s veins, tightening his pocket around the knot and raking his fingers down the big man’s broad back as his head fell back and he gave himself over to him.

“ _Alphaaaa…_.”

“Bite me.” 

The hoarse, harsh whisper shocked Kane back into the present. He blinked at Kellan, struggling to process what he’d heard. Dozens of alphas had bitten him over the years—though none had ever felt like _that_ or made him want to absorb them through his skin so he never had to be away from them again—but none had ever allowed him to bite them.

“A-alpha?” he asked, searching those smoky eyes.

Kellan’s fingers threaded through his hair, his scent taking on a tinge of uncertainty. “Bite me. If...only if you want. I can’t force you. But I want you to. Bond with me, Kane. I want you to be mine and me yours. I want to raise our baby together, to find a new home together. I want all of you. Bite me. Seal the bond. Please.”

Kane swallowed hard, heat pricking his eyelids. “You’re—and I’m— Alpha, rut can make you say things you don’ mean when it wears off.”

“This isn’t rut-speak,” he said gently, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped to roll down Kane’s temple. “I love you, Kane. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Shaking, Kane pressed his teeth to Kellan’s shoulder, a sob escaping him when the alpha’s hand cradled his head, gently holding him there, encouraging. His arms wrapped around Kellan, his legs tightening around his waist. Kellan pushed deeper into him with a soft moan, tipping his head to give him access.

He bit down, feeling the skin break and tasting the sweet tang of blood. Kellan’s moan rose, the alpha grinding helplessly against him as his scent changed, notes of citrus infusing it. Kane shuddered as his pleasure doubled, the empathy of bondmates he’d thought was fiction adding his alpha’s to his own. Kellan bit down on Kane’s shoulder again, sending another rush of liquid heat through him. Tears tracked freely down his temples and into his hair as Kellan shifted his grip, holding him as if he might break if he handled him too roughly. The tenderness in his alpha’s touch was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

Hours later—how many, he wasn’t sure as time had lost its meaning—Kellan slid his hand over Kane’s belly, rubbing his cheek against Kane’s temple. “Do you think it will take?” he asked.

“It always does,” Kane said, nestling back in his arms, feeling safe and cherished in the big alpha’s embrace. “Joker says I shoulda been a breeder.”

“Good,” the word was laced with unmistakable satisfaction. “Do you want a boy or a girl? Or maybe both? Alpha or omega?”

“Alive an’ healthy is all I care about, Alpha,” he sighed contentedly. “It’s yours, so it’ll be beautiful no matter what.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” Satisfaction changed to amusement.

“Mmhm. Like...sunset. Or mountains? Not ‘pretty’ but beautiful.”

Kellan’s lips brushed over his hair. “I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before. I know you probably hear it all the time, but you’re the beautiful one.”

“I kinda wish I’d been ugly,” he admitted. “The ugly omegas get to be free. Nobody wants to fuck ‘em except when they’re in heat and no one wants ‘em for breeders because who wants ugly kids? If I’d been ugly, maybe Harkin wouldn’t have bought me.”

“I wouldn’t have found you if he didn’t,” Kellan said, his arms tightening around him.

Kane tipped his head back to look at him. “Don’ take this the wrong way, Alpha, but...I’m not sure it’s worth it. The things that I’ve been through…”

“I’ll just have to make it worth it, then, won’t I?” Kellan asked, trailing his nose behind Kane’s ear. “My omega.”

* * *

“I don’ wanna go back,” Kane sighed, trying and failing to keep his chin from trembling. “‘M scared.”

Kellan held him close, pressing his lips to his hair. “I don’t want to send you back. But I’ll come as soon as I can. And you have your omni-tool. We can vid chat every night. If something happens, you call me. If I have to kill everyone in the damn place to get to you, I will.”

“Don’ hurt the omegas,” Kane said, tipping his head back to look up at his alpha. “Except Maya. But not the others. Please?”

“I won’t hurt your friends, baby. I meant Harkin and the betas.” His fingers trailed through Kane’s hair. “You don’t smell pregnant yet. It’ll take a few weeks to get into your scent. I’ll tell Harkin you took the pill and I’ll find a way to get you out before then.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” Kane whispered. “I don’ want anybody else touchin’ me. Ever.”

“What will happen when she gives you the bonding suppressant?” Kellan asked. “Will it break?”

Kane shook his head. “I don’ know. Maybe it’ll just mask the scent.” He cupped the alpha’s worried face. “It won’t stop me from loving you. I’ll do that till I die.”

“So will I,” Kellan vowed. “We will find a way, sweetheart. I’ll save you.”

“I know,” Kane whispered, touching his forehead to Kellan’s. “You’re the best Alpha I could ever want. I thought you were a fairy tale. Findin’ you is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“So are you, my love,” Kellan said, sliding a hand along his jaw and kissing him softly. Reluctance was sharp and bitter in his scent. “It’s time. If we wait any longer, Harkin will decide you aren’t coming back. If you’re sure you’re returning, we need to go.” His eyes searched Kane’s, hope and sadness in their smoky depths.

“I can’t make Joker take my place,” he said in a voice that tried to be brave. “Just don’ let the vorcha get me. Okay?”

“I won’t,” Kellan swore. “They won’t touch you.”

They clung to each other through the short ride back to Tenth Street. When the skycar landed, Kellan kissed him hard and deep, his hand fisted in Kane’s hair and his scent a riot of emotion that echoed in his own chest. Kane squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself back into the careless mentality he’d so carefully cultivated over the years.

The three days he’d just spent with Kellan were the best of his life. When they were able to get out of bed, the alpha had cooked for him—and taken him on the counter while waiting on the oven—and bathed together, lain together on the couch with a vid he was sure neither of them had followed past the first ten minutes, cuddled and talked and dreamed together. It had been perfect.

Walking back into the brothel felt like walking into Hell.


	22. Chapter 22

“Good afternoon, alpha. How may I help you?” Kane asked the lanky, balding man who walked up to the desk in the front room. 

“I’ve got an appointment with Maya,” the man said, his scent almost yellow with anxiety. 

“And what’s your name, alpha?” Kane asked, his nose wrinkling slightly at having to use the honorific. 

No ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ in the front room. Just ‘alpha.’ Harkin said it reminded the omegas of their place and made the clients happy. It was different when he used it with Kellan. 

Kellan was _his_ Alpha, his mate. A fact which Harkin thankfully had yet to discover as Miranda had injected him with the bonding suppressant almost as soon as he’d walked in the door. He could still feel Kellan’s almost-constant anxiety, so he didn’t think it had broken. 

“Gavin Archer,” the man answered. 

Kane consulted the schedule, his brow furrowing. Maya had a client scheduled for two, but it was Kai Leng. This was not Kai Leng. He double-checked to ensure that no one had accidentally double-booked her, but everything looked to be in order. Archer wasn’t on the schedule for the next day or week, either, for anyone.

“Are you certain, alpha?” Kane asked. “I apologize, but your name isn’t on the schedule. Is that the one that your appointment is under?” 

“Yes,” the man snapped, shifting his weight and shuffling his feet. “Gavin Archer. Today at two with Maya. I’ve had this appointment booked for a month, and I’m not missing it because an illiterate omega couldn’t properly do his job.”

Kane chewed the inside of his lip and checked the calendar history to ensure that the appointment hadn’t been made and subsequently deleted. When that didn’t produce results, he called up the clientele list and searched for the man’s name. Nothing. He didn’t have a client record, the dossier that they created and kept on everyone who came in. If he’d been here before, he would have a record. 

“I’m sorry, alpha. I don’t see you in our system at all. Could you be thinking of Sha’ira? She’s at the mating center three doors down.”

“No,” Archer huffed. “I know who I booked with. It’s in my calendar. I have an appointment and I expect to see Maya in the next ten minutes or I’ll have a word with your alpha.”

Kane sighed and pressed the button for the comm system. “Miranda, can you come to the front, please? We have a scheduling conflict.”

Beyond Archer, the door opened and Kahoku swept in on a blustery puff of wind that whipped his coat around his legs. Kane’s lips quirked slightly at the sight of Kahoku, but the smile soured when Donovan Hock strode in behind him. Kane should have known he’d be right behind Kahoku even without checking the schedule. Hock’s monthly trips to Earth almost always coincided with Kahoku’s weekends off. 

Kane had asked George once if he knew the man, but the politician had brushed off his curiosity, explaining that there was a delegation that came every month to lobby Parliament and the timing was coincidental. 

Kahoku nodded at him and took a seat in one of the plush chairs along the wall, accepting a cup of coffee from Tali with a warm smile. Hock, on the other hand, stood behind Archer and tapped his foot. Kane could barely look at the man without thinking of the day Jenkins died and the way Hock had punished him for being made to wait.

“Mr. Archer, if you’d take a seat, our manager’s on our way. I’m sure she can help you,” Kane said. 

“It’s _Doctor_ Archer, omega. I don’t want to talk to the manager. I want to talk to the owner. This is unacceptable.”

“No,” Hock said behind him. “What’s unacceptable is you standing in my way. Move.”

Archer snarled and spun to face the other alpha. Kane slid his chair back, looking for an escape from the impending fight. Kahoku stood, calmly setting his cup aside, and approached. Waves of calm surrounded him, easing some of the tension knotting Kane’s shoulders as George rested his hands on the two alphas’ shoulders, moving them slightly apart. 

The politician waved Tali over and said, “Ms. Zorah, Mr. ...Hawk, I believe it is, appears to be in need of assistance and our Kane here is already occupied. Perhaps you could aid him for a moment.”

“Hock,” Donovan corrected, his eyes locking on Tali. “Are you free? My appointment isn’t till three, but I have a busy schedule today and I don’t want to wait.”

Tali’s eyes widened and darted between the four of them. She tucked a strand of long, dark hair behind her ear and nodded. “If you’ll give me just a moment to find a replacement, Alpha, I’ll be happy to help you.”

“There we go,” Kahoku said. “Crisis averted. Kane, dear, take your time. I can wait.” He returned to his seat and resumed sipping his coffee, his omni-tool glowing softly on his arm. 

“Where’s Miranda?” Kane asked Tali. 

“In the kitchen,” she said. “We’re shorthanded since Liam went into heat out of schedule.”

“Go find her, please,” he said as Archer loudly cleared his throat. He turned to the alpha. “Again, I’m sorry, alpha, but there’s nothin’ I can do. You’re not on the schedule. You’re not in our database at all. An’ I’ve never seen you before. I’m afraid there’s been some kind of mistake. If you’d like to schedule an appointment now, I can do that for you, but otherwise, you’re goin’ to have to wait for Miranda. I have a client.” He looked over as the door opened again to allow Leng to stalk in. “And Maya does, too.”

“Omega,” Leng called out. “Let her know I’m here and be quick about it.” He dropped into the chair beside Kahoku, glaring at the rest of the room.

Kane resisted the urge to either bang his head on the desk or run from the room. Surrounded by a handful of pissy, impatient alphas was _not_ where he wanted to be. He willed Tali to hurry. Fortunately, a few swift taps of the screen notified Maya that her client was here, and Sam, their usual receptionist, came in to escort Leng back. 

Kane waved her over and explained the situation with Archer. They put their heads together over the computer as she went through the steps he’d already taken. She then maneuvered through a few other files, skimming through with a speed he could never hope to match. 

“You’re right, Kane. He’s not in here and never has been,” she said too softly for the alpha to hear. “This happens all the time with her. People think claiming an appointment will allow them to bypass the waiting list. Miranda will deal with it.” With that, she smiled at Leng and gestured for him to follow her back. 

Miranda passed them as they were leaving and prowled up to the desk. “What seems to be the problem?” 

“This idiot can’t find my appointment!” Archer exclaimed. “I know you can’t do anything about omegas’ lack of intelligence, but perhaps you could hire a real person to man the desk and keep the breeding stock in the back where they belong.”

Kane bristled but rose from the desk when Miranda nodded at him to go and went to Kahoku to lead him to the bedroom that had been prepared for them. 

“I’m sorry about that, alpha,” he said. “My next appointment’s open now. I don’t think they’d mind if I gave you a little more time to compensate for you having to wait.”

“I appreciate that,” George said, “but not if it’s going to get you in trouble. And _I_ apologize for my fellow alpha’s behavior. The things he said are not true, you know.” 

Kane opened the door to the red room and gestured the alpha inside. “I know,” he said, shutting the door behind them. “But, uh. Thank you.”

Kahoku took a seat in the chair and gestured for Kane to sit on the bed. “I’m not having sex with you, Kane,” he said. “I can smell you on Shepard now, you know. He may be my subordinate, but I also like to think he is my friend and I do not screw my friends’ bondmates.”

“Thank you, alpha,” he said softly, “but then why did you pay for me?”

“I enjoy your company, Kane,” he said with a smile. “And I thought I could give you an hour of respite. It must be very difficult to continue doing your job under the circumstances.”

“I hate it,” Kane whispered baldly. “I don’ want their hands on me. I don’ want them anywhere near me. They never smelled good to me, not like Kellan does, but now it’s repulsive. They stink. It feels like…like…”

“Rape?” Kahoku asked gently.

“It always has been, but I was able to tell myself I was at least a little in control. Except one time. But now every time is like that one time. It’s...a violation. I jus’ wanna go home.” He brushed a hand over his eyes. “‘M sorry. You didn’ pay for me to hear me complain. I can at least do somethin’ to make it worth your time. I could draw you a warm bath or give you a massage or play a game?”

“Relax, Kane,” the elderly alpha said, his hand trembling as he reached for a cup of water. He cocked his head, watching until it steadied again, and drew the glass to himself. “I wanted to let you know that I am still working with the Alliance to attempt to purchase you. It is slow. Every offer must be approved at a higher level than mine, but I am the one making the offer and Harkin is at least amused at the thought of one such as yourself being purchased by a ‘dried up old goat’ like me.”

“Oh, alpha, I’m sorry he said that,” Kane gasped, horrified. “That’s terrible and not true!”

Kahoku merely chuckled. “I have been called far worse in my time. His disdain works in my favor. I believe he is enjoying pitting me in a bidding war against the batarians. The good thing about that is that it has driven his goal price up and he is now demanding more from them as well, which is good because they met his original goal two days ago.”

“What happens if they don’ approve an increase?” Kane asked.

“Then I will supplement the bid from my personal savings,” Kahoku answered. “As he said, I’m an old goat. I can’t take it with me.”

“You have at least another sixty years,” Kane said. “You might not be able to take it with you, but you could use it here.”

“I would prefer to use it on you,” the politician said. “I told you that I would be your savior, did I not?”

“You did,” Kane said. 

Kahoku opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes rolled back and his body began to tremor spasmodically. Kane leapt from the bed, easing him onto the floor and searching for something to keep him from biting his tongue. Kahoku’s tremors grew more violent and his hands spasmed on Kane’s arms, digging his fingers in. His eyes flew open, wide and afraid. Fear flared in Kane in response. Foam bubbled from George’s lips and dribbled down his chin. Kane rolled him onto his side, bellowing for help before remembering the room’s soundproofing. 

He reached up and swiped his hand over the emergency switch behind the headboard and shouted, “Medical emergency in the Red Room! Get a medic! Somebody help me!” 

George’s arms and legs flailed, his hand catching Kane across the face with enough force to pop his nose and send blood spurting over his lips. He ignored it, trying to pin the man down. 

“George! George, calm down. I’m here. ‘M not leavin’ you. You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be alright. Help’s comin’.”

Kahoku’s eyes rolled wildly before locking onto Kane’s. He coughed, sending spittle flying across the pillow. “Alec...Ryder...AI. Andromeda. Remember. Find. Garson.”

“Don’ die on me, George. Please don’ die. We need you. I need you,” he said, giving up on the effort to get hold of the alpha’s limbs and frantically stroking his face again, attempting to clear the man’s mouth without being bitten by his helplessly gnashing teeth. “Please don’ die, George. Help’s comin’.” He slammed his hand against the switch again. “Damn it, hurry! He’s dyin’ in here!”

George’s movements stopped abruptly. The color left his face, an unnatural pallor graying his formerly dusky skin. The froth in his mouth stopped bubbling outward. His eyes stared through him. 

Kane had never seen anyone die before. The only dead body he’d ever seen was the remnant of the child he’d lost and that had barely looked like a baby. He’d been able to distance himself from it, think of it as tissue rather than what it could have been. 

Now, however, he didn’t need experience to tell him that George was gone. Where his scent had been musky before and then sharp with terror, it was now simply absent. Kane pressed his fingers over the man’s neck anyway, feeling for a pulse that wasn’t there, and put his ear to his chest, listening for a sound that had stopped. 

The door flew open and Miranda ran in, followed closely by Harkin. “What did you do to him?” the alpha shouted, storming over to the bed and dragging Kane off of the body. A meaty hand fisted in his hair and Harkin shook him like a ragdoll. “You killed him! You little shit!”

“I didn’! I didn’!” Kane shouted. “He started seizin’ and foamin’ at the mouth. I called for help! I called for help! I didn’ hurt him!”

“Jerry,” Miranda said, looking down at the dead man in distaste. “Kahoku was old. Anything could have happened to him. I suggest we lock Kane in his room for now and let the police sort it out. They’ll tell us. And if he did do it, he won’t be our problem anymore, will he?”

“Vega!” Harkin called out the door. The big omega appeared a moment later and Harkin shoved Kane at him. “Take him to his room and bar the door. No one goes in or out. He wants to piss, he can do it in a corner. Get him outta my sight.”

“Yes, Alpha,” James said smartly, gently steering Kane toward his bedroom. “What the hell happened?” he muttered in Spanish when they were out of earshot of the alpha.

“Kahoku’s dead,” he said in kind. “One minute, he’s talking; the next, he can’t breathe. And then he was just _gone_. I don’t know what happened.”

James opened Kane’s door and directed him into the room. “Damn, _Cubano_. I don’t know what to say to that. Look, I’ll get you some food and water when I can. And something to clean up with.”

“Thank you,” Kane said, raking a hand over his face. “Damn it, I _liked_ him.”

James awkwardly patted his shoulder before stepping back into the hall and closing the door. The bed creaked under his weight. The short hair on the sides of his head bristled against his fingers, reminding him that he needed to buzz it and have Joker bleach it again before his roots grew in too dark and Harkin bitched about it. He shook his head at the concrete floor and scoffed at himself. A friend had just died in his arms and he was thinking about his _hair_? 

It was better, though, than picturing the spittle flying from George’s lips, the pained wheezing, the slackness of his muscles under Kane’s hands. Better than wondering how long he’d be locked in this tiny prison or whether Harkin would find a way to blame him for George’s death. Better than wondering how he was going to tell his Alpha that their friend was dead. 

His hair really had gotten too long.


	23. Chapter 23

Harkin came for him in the darkest part of the night. The door slammed against the wall, dragging Kane out of sleep just before dawn. He hadn’t had any late clients—probably deliberate, his sluggish brain realized—so he’d cried himself to sleep in his cell. Fingers wrapped around his arm, digging in painfully, and dragged him upright. 

“Time to go, Princess. Get your shit. It’s time for you to get outta my hair,” Harkin barked. 

“Wha—?” Kane asked, rubbing a hand over his face and trying to get his bearings. Behind the alpha were Maya and one of the security mechs. The glint in her eyes was darkly satisfied. 

“You smell bred and bonded, boy. I decided not to try to push for another ten thousand credits, given that you’re now officially worthless anyway,” Harkin growled. “You’ve got thirty seconds to grab anything you want to take and I’m burning whatever’s left.”

Kane’s eyes widened. It didn’t occur to him that Harkin might not be serious. Harkin didn’t joke. Kane turned and tore the threadbare pillowcase off his lumpy pillow and ran to his dresser where he ripped out the false bottom of his drawer and began throwing the books he’d collected with leaves pressed between their pages, the stuffed pyjak and bath bomb Kellan had brought the last time he’d seen him, and the socks stuffed full of smaller trinkets from all of Kellan’s visits. He wasn’t going to have time to say goodbye to Joker or Vega or Sam, and no way in hell would Maya pass along a message for him. 

He stuffed a shirt and pair of jeans into the pillowcase and was shoving his foot into a shoe when Harkin grabbed him again and dragged him out, one foot still bare and laces trailing from the other. Kane stumbled after him, clumsily tying a knot into the pillowcase and clutching it tightly to his chest as they maneuvered through the labyrinth of hallways past cells and client rooms, the kitchens, and out the back door. 

He didn’t stop there, and this time there was no Sha’ira at the window to send him back to Chora’s Den. Harkin dragged him along the back alley with a gloating Maya trailing behind, all the way up the hill to the entrance of the redlight district where a darkened skycar waited. 

“Get in,” Harkin growled, shoving him toward the open door. 

“Where are we going?” Kane asked, his heart pounding as he looked between the skycar and the entrance to the rest of the city. 

“Run and the mech’ll kneecap you,” Harkin warned. “Batarians don’t give a shit what your knees are like.”

Kane got into the skycar and curled up in the backseat with the pillowcase in his lap and his arm wrapped over his belly as if he could somehow protect his baby. It wouldn’t happen, he knew. He was too late. The batarians had paid their exorbitant credits for an unbonded omega, not one who was bonded, pregnant, and functionally a beta where anyone but his alpha was concerned. There was nothing exotic about him now, nothing to justify the money they’d paid for him. He’d heard about the ruthlessness of batarians. When they found out their investment was worthless, they’d kill him. 

“Where are we going?” he demanded. Maybe he could find a way to escape before they reached their destination. A skycar wouldn’t leave Earth.

“The Terminus Systems,” Harkin muttered, taking flight. 

Of course. The Terminus Systems. Where even if he managed to escape, even seasoned alphas were dying in droves. If it wasn’t for bad luck, Kane Ryder would have no luck at all.

* * *

Kellan sat in the Omega Marketplace, letting the foot traffic flow around him. Harot’s low rumble was pleasant in the background. He’d been here for three days already and had thoroughly cased the area. Now that he had an idea of the players and the routines, it was time to start pressing for intel. He didn’t like being this far from his omega. 

Kane’s fear and grief after Kahoku’s death had almost swamped him. He hadn’t needed the com call to tell him something had happened; he’d experienced all of the emotions along with Kane. But he hadn’t known what and had almost panicked, thinking the omega had been discovered and forced to miscarry, until Kane had finally answered his call. 

He wanted to get back to him, but the Alliance had stopped bidding when Kahoku died and without the old alpha, there was no one in Parliament who could care less than they did now. His only hope of saving Kane now without murdering Harkin was to find the batarians and stop the sale until he could stage a rescue and escape with him to Andromeda. 

So far, it had been slow going. There was a quarian in the lower market who’d agreed to keep his ear to the ground for Kellan. Kellan threw him a few credits for whatever intel he managed to get, even if it really wasn’t helpful. It was worth it to have the source in place at this point. 

He sighed, shifting on his stool and trying not to stare at the eyes of the asari sitting next to him and concentrated on his beer instead. They were a deep, liquid brown, like Kane’s, and just made him miss his omega more. He was worried about him as well. This morning, he’d felt Kane mourning and guessed that the omega had cried himself to sleep again. Kane had jolted awake a couple hours later, fear choking him, and it had taken almost an hour for it to recede and the omega to get quiet again. Nightmares, he was sure, but anxiety gnawed his gut. He should be there. 

His omni-tool flashed, incoming encrypted message. Reassignment orders. He’d bet his life savings that’s what it was. It was only a matter of time, really, since Kahoku died. The betas in Parliament had ‘generously’ allowed him to continue his investigation, though they had capped expenses on anything else the day after the admiral had died. He was on his own from here on out. 

Kellan blinked in disbelief as the message popped up. _“Package incoming. Coordinates for pick up to follow. 2330 local time.”_

Surely that was a farce. “Fuck you, Harkin. It’ll take more than that to fool me.” 

He shut it down and ordered another drink.

* * *

Omega Station was a shithole. Kane had never left Earth before getting shoved into a rickety shuttle that he hadn’t been sure would make it out of atmo, much less all the way to rendezvous with the cramped transport ship at the Tamayo Point transit station. It had, though, and then he’d been shoved into an open shipping container in a dim cargo hold with a hundred other omegas who smelled just as stunned and scared as he felt. That ship had landed somewhere else—Kane didn’t know where, but he’d thought it was a real planet—where Harkin had met with a gruff batarian with yellow markings and an ingrown hair at the corner of its nose. Harkin had ordered Kane to sit down and shut up while they’d haggled out the last details of Kane’s life over a beer and the batarian’s sour alien cigarettes. 

That had been the last he’d seen of Harkin. The batarian had ordered him around with a series of grunts and shoves, but at least hadn’t seemed interested in treating him badly as long as he obeyed. Trying to run had earned him a kick between the shoulder blades, but the slaver had gone back to looking bored as soon as Kane had returned to obedience. Where would he run to, anyway? He was surrounded by aliens on a planet that could have been anywhere in the galaxy. None of these people spared him a second glance even though he knew they knew damn well what he was and what was happening. No one cared. 

From the unnamed planet to the ironically-named Omega had been a day’s journey. Just long enough for him to start wondering if Joker had realized he was gone and what he was doing about it. Long enough to both start and stop dreaming of a daring rescue by his bondmate. The batarian had scanned for and found Kane’s omni-tool and taken it away. His alpha wouldn’t know where Kane was to start looking. For all Kellan knew, Kane was still safe and sound in the brothel.

When they reached the station, the gruff batarian had shoved and grunted at him and the others it had acquired until they stood in an organized pack of twelve in the center of what looked like a warehouse. Another batarian walked up and down the row with its hands clasped behind it in a very human gesture. It stopped in front of them and tipped its head to the right deliberately enough that it could only be some form of insult. The bottom pair of its four eyes scanned the first row while the top pair focused on the back. 

“I am Kelemen Ferank,” it said in a deep voice that Kane thought was male. “I own you now. Do well, and you can buy your freedom someday. Disobey, and I’ll install a control chip in you faster than you can say ‘please, no, alpha.’ Speaking of alphas, one by one, I want you to walk past the human alpha in the corner.” 

Kane hadn’t even noticed him. Now that he did, he realized that the acrid scent underpinning the room belonged to the stressed alpha rather than the aliens. He turned with the rest of the group and followed as they shifted into a single line. His tummy twisted and his heart fluttered the closer he came to the man, though he couldn’t think of a reason for that to be the case. 

Out of the group of twelve, the alpha pointed to himself and a female omega. Ferank consulted his list, raised his pistol, and shot the female. Kane’s pulse jolted and raced, trying to thunder out of his chest. Fear spiked from some of the omegas in the room, but others didn’t react at all, old and tired and accustomed enough to violence to be unaffected. 

He looked down at the female omega in horror, wondering not for the last time why it had been her and not him and whether or not she had somehow inadvertently saved him. For now, though, she was unrecognizable. The batarian had clearly planned it that way. Kane felt his chances of survival slip away.

* * *

Encrypted message incoming again. Kellan huffed in annoyance as he tried to silence his omni-tool’s alert, but it opened up anyway. The same address as before, claiming to be Joker. Coordinates this time, as the original had promised. His curiosity piqued against his will. Orange flashed on his wrist again as an encrypted call pinged. This fucking day… He swore to himself and was about to reject the call until he saw the address.

Chora’s Den. 

He slid off his stool and left some credit chits to pay for his drinks and activated the comm; Harkin probably had figured out what he and Kane had been doing and wanted to either threaten him or do damage control with bribes. Either way, Kellan wasn’t interested in anything the skeevy alpha had to say. 

“What the hell do you want?”

“Huh. Maybe this was a bad idea…”

He blinked and stopped in his tracks. “...You’re not Harkin. Who is this?”

The man cleared his throat and said in a modulated, professional tone, “Commander Shepard, this is Chora’s Den. I’m calling to reschedule your appointment for next week with Kane. Unfortunately, he won’t be available, so is there another omega I could arrange for you? Kaidan, perhaps?”

His gut churned with worry at his omega’s name and he scowled at his omni-tool for all the good it would do; the call was voice only. Kaidan was dead. Was this a trick? “If this is a joke, I don’t find it very goddamn funny.”

A muffled rustle came over the line and then the man said, “I’m sorry...oh thank God, she’s finally gone. Hey, Shepard. It’s Joker. Listen, I’ve only got a second. Kane’s gone. No one’s seen him in twenty-four hours, Maya’s been whistling Dixie all day, and his room’s been stripped bare. Even the fake bottom he had in the drawer where he kept all that shit you gave him. You’re his alpha, right? Don’t you have some sort of spider-sense that’ll tell you where he is?”

His brow furrowed and panic spiked. “What do you mean Kane’s missing?” he demanded.

Joker grumbled something under his breath. “Yeah. I think Harkin sold him. He wouldn’t have run away without telling me goodbye or leaving a note or... _something_ so I wouldn’t worry.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath. Fear thrilled through him. “You’re certain?”

“About him being sold? He left behind a single shoe. If that’s a message, it’s sure as hell not ‘I’m fine, don’t look for me.’”

He turned abruptly on his heel and strode towards his ratty hotel to get his armor and rifle; somehow civvies and his pistol didn’t seem like it would be enough anymore.

“Fucking hell. Was that you earlier? With the messages?”

“Messages? No. I don’t have a way to send any. It took me all day to get access to do this. Shit. Somebody’s coming. I’ve gotta go.” The line went dead.

Mother _fucker._ He burst into his apartment and grabbed his footlocker, tossing off his jeans and hoodie and kitting up in his armor. He’d sworn he wouldn’t let the vorcha get his omega and their baby. Like hell he was going to break his promise.

Now he just had to find them.

* * *

Kane stared at the vorcha in front of him with the kind of fear that made the soles of his feet tingle and flush and made him all but certain he was going to piss himself before it was all over. Ferank hadn’t been happy when the alpha had sniffed out that he was bred and bonded. He’d called Kane ‘useless’ and threatened to use him as varren feed until the vorcha had come into the room and intervened. Either way, he was food. He’d have preferred the varren. They, at least, looked like dogs and not spiky corpses with mouths full of needles. 

That mouth currently hovered mere inches from his face, its rancid breath hot and humid against his skin. “Neeeeeed flesh,” it hissed, gnashing its teeth together. 

He was definitely going to end up pissing himself. Kane jerked against the bonds biting into his wrists and tried to back away, but met with solid wall. Behind the vorcha, the other omegas watched, some fearful, most impassive. None stepped forward to help. The batarian chatted with the alpha, paying less attention to them than to investigating his own fingertips. If this was a lesson to the others, it was a good one. If this had been Harkin’s introduction to Chora’s, he never would have set a foot wrong, no matter what the alphas tried to do to him. The vorcha leaned closer. He bit back the urge to scream. 

“Please,” he whimpered. “Jus’ let me go. I’ll be good. Four months and I’ll have the baby and I’ll be useful again. Please let me go.” 

“Durok,” Ferank chided in a bored tone. “Quit playing with your food. I’ve got things to do.”

“Fear tastes better,” the vorcha rasped gleefully. 

Kane didn’t want to look at it, but it was so close now that it was all he could see. Each detail added to his terror, from its evil, alien eyes to its squished, corpse-like nostrils, to the exposed strings of muscle and tendon around its horrible mouth. If the demons his adoptive mother used to warn him about truly existed, this was what they looked like. Looking into its eyes was like looking into hell itself. 

And its teeth, not just needles, but fangs, shorter and thicker toward the back and long and pointed in the front, designed to pierce and tear and savage. It snapped them at him, the razor-sharp tips catching the skin under his eye. Hot liquid gushed down his cheek. 

Kane screamed.

* * *

Kellan couldn’t shake the feeling of dread heavy in his gut. It made his chest tight and shoulders tense. The crowds parted before him easily as he paced through the streets, long legs eating up the distance as he tried to follow thesensations that weren’t his own. 

“Filth!” an angry voice rang out. “For the blight that is humanity stains all within its path, and the only chance at redemption is the Word!” 

He had to be close. The Mad Prophet spewing vitriol and craziness was nearby, and that meant a population of batarians was, too. Batarians meant possibilities. 

Terror flitted through him, stealing his breath and he stopped, focusing. He closed his eyes and concentrated. There. Past the gathered crowd, through a door and another back alley. The fear grew in him as he searched, almost disabling but he forced himself to focus through it. He tried not to think about what it could mean as he raced through endless dirty avenues and more doors and thwarted paths.

Dammit, another blocked pathway and closed door. He pounded a gauntleted fist on the metal with a frustrated shout and turned around, leaning on it. The sheer, blinding panic had grown and was now a real distraction. He _knew_ he was close, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where. The fear was _everywhere_ ; there was no distinct path to follow. It assaulted him from every angle. 

His omni-tool glowed orange in the gloom and the last message with the coordinates was still up on his holo-screen. Just what he needed, another goddamn mystery. Annoyed, he moved to close it and paused, staring at the numbers. _Wait a minute_. He pulled up a map and checked the latitude and longitude of current location and compared them to the coordinates. They were within half a klick of each other. 

His head spun and he pulled up the other message: _Package incoming. Coordinates for pick up to follow. 2330 local time._ It was 2336 at the moment.

 _Kane_! 

He drew his pistol and booked it, his mind racing as fast as his feet to figure out who the unidentified friend was. Joker clearly wasn’t it, since he had no idea about the messages. It could have been Tali, he supposed, knowing her predisposition for tech. It was _possible_ she could have figured out a way to hack his records with the Alliance, but he didn’t think it very probable. She and Kane weren’t that close and she wouldn’t have any reason to help him. _Miranda._ Miranda had been helping him all along.

A bloodcurdling scream rent the air and he doubled his efforts.

After that, there was nothing but silence.

* * *

Kane froze, even his terror coming to an abrupt halt as the vorcha scraped sharp fingertips over the gentle curve of his belly. “Yessssss. Yessss, thisssss,” it wheezed, crouching down to flick a long, narrow tongue over his skin. 

Kane’s tummy revolted. If he’d eaten anything in the past...however long it had been since he’d been dragged out of bed at Chora’s...he’d have lost it. As it was, his entire life coalesced around a single thought: _Not my baby._ The demon could do whatever it wanted to Kane, but he would not stand here frozen in panic and watch it chew his baby out from inside him. He’d been many things, but never a goddamn coward. 

With the vorcha crouched down and out of his way, he could see the batarian standing with the other omegas. Even the jaded ones were wide-eyed, and the younger ones trembled. A female squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. Kane locked eyes onto the batarian’s lower pair and deliberately tipped his head to the right the way that he’d seen others do to them. One pair of eyes widened. The other narrowed. 

Kane looked down and spat on the vorcha’s gnarled nose. It opened its mouth and hissed. Blue flared around him as Kane slammed his knee as hard as he could into its elongated chin. Its teeth snapped together, sinking into its tongue, and it surged upward, driving its fist into Kane’s belly. He doubled over as much as the restraints holding his hands above his head would allow, waiting for the death blow. 

Biotics crackled, lifting the hair on his arms, and wreathed the vorcha in a pale blue shroud. The vorcha froze, seemingly locked in place. Kane locked his hands around the chains holding them up and used it to lift himself up, kicking out with both feet, driving the demon back. A fireball appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the vorcha.

It turned, Kane forgotten, and rushed toward the batarian, flames licking off of it. The omegas screamed and scattered, rushing up against the walls and shoving past the second batarian in the doorway, who paid them no attention and instead fired uselessly at Durok. Kane watched in stunned disbelief as the vorcha slammed into Ferank, wreathing him in flame as well.

Movement to his right caught his eye. A tall, dark-haired man in armor. The scent of furious, desperate alpha filled the room. He sent out another fireball and another batarian turned and ran. The alpha stalked over to him, flipping out an omniblade and slicing it through the chains over his head. Kane drooped and a strong arm banded around his waist, dragging him behind a crate. 

Kellan. Kellan had come. Or he was dead and dreaming.

Kellan threw his arm out again, more fire flashing across the room. The ball of plasma exploded, throwing the batarians across the room. The alpha’s pistol coughed as he fired, cleaning out the final stragglers. 

And then there was silence.

Kane trembled, gaping at Kellan before launching himself into the alpha’s arms, heedless of the armor he wore, burying his face beneath Kellan’s jaw and bursting into tears. 

“Alpha,” he sobbed, clinging to him. “Alpha. My Alpha. You came for me.” 

“Of course I did, baby,” the large man soothed, hugging him tightly and trembling. “I told you I wouldn’t let them get you.” He nuzzled Kane behind the ear before tilting the omega’s head to kiss him softly on the lips and gently palming his belly. “I’m sorry it took so long. I didn’t know.”

Kane shook uncontrollably, his chin trembling as he looked up at the alpha with wide, wet eyes. “I didn’ think y-you’d find me.” He pressed his lips firmly to Kellan’s and buried his face in his neck again. “I was so scared.”

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re safe.” The alpha rocked them gently back and forth, hugging him as if he’d never let go. 

There was a soothing thrum deep in his chest, slowly spreading through Kane’s body and relaxing him as he breathed in the scent of his alpha.

“Let’s get out of here and back to my hotel, get some food in you and your face cleaned up, and then get the hell off this place first thing tomorrow. Back home to our apartment. Okay?”

Kane nodded, pressing against his hand and tightening his arms around Kellan’s neck. “Get me out of here, please,” he requested tremulously. “Never wanna see a vorcha again. I wanna go _home_.”

The alpha hitched Kane up and wrapped his legs around his waist, walking them out of the nightmare to the room he had rented and leaving it all behind. “Sir, yes sir. I’ll book the transport as soon as we get in.”

Kane shook in his arms, pressing as close as possible in spite of the armor between them, as they traversed the station. He kept his face hidden, refusing to look at the batarians he heard talking around them in their gravelly voices. The adrenaline had faded, leaving him weak and tremulous. He hadn’t imagined that Kellan would find him, but he had and Kane wasn’t going to let him go. 


	24. Chapter 24

Kellan leaned his ass against the counter in the tiny kitchenette, Kane’s arms wrapped around his neck and legs wrapped around his waist, nose buried under his jaw as he waited for the pot of soup to finish heating. He’d made a couple of sandwiches to go with it off to the side because he wasn’t sure how hungry his omega would be, if at all, or what kind of food he might possibly be craving due to the baby. He figured he couldn’t go wrong with comfort food no matter what. 

Kane’s little belly pooch pressed against Kellan’s stomach as they breathed together, stress and tension fading away under his touch and scent as they reacquainted themselves with each other. His fingers slipped beneath Kane’s shirt to splay over his skin. He rubbed his jaw back against the omega’s cheek and hair, claiming him with his scent so there was absolutely no doubt in anybody’s mind who he belonged to.

Kane nuzzled his cheek and temple against Kellan’s chest, then winced, lifting a hand to it. He tipped his head up, fingering at a collection of angry, raised wounds on his face. They had scabbed over and didn’t look too deep, so he’d decided that food was more vital, but now they were getting irritated and inflamed. 

“It bit me,” Kane said pitiably, beginning to shake again. “I thought it was going to take my eye.”

Kellan winced at the visual and gently probed the skin around the wounds. It explained why they looked worse now than they had when he’d gotten to him. Vorcha saliva was nasty. Medigel would help, but they would probably still scar. 

“Let me clean it again… those wounds look angry, baby.”

“It hurts,” he admitted, his fingers tracing absently along Kellan’s spine. His chin trembled again and he squeezed his eyes shut. “God, I was so scared.”

“I know, sweetheart. Me, too,” the alpha replied, kissing him softly as he made their way back to the bathroom and deposited Kane on the sink. He got out his med kit and gently dabbed at the crusty lines on his omega’s exhausted face. His nose wrinkled; the scabs had flaked off and the wounds were seeping. A coppery tang from the blood saturated the air.

It was nothing he hadn’t seen out in the field before, though. They just needed to stop the bleeding and put a barrier on the wound; medigel would do that plus provide a little analgesic. He tapped small dollops over the raw lines as gently as he could, but Kane still gave a tired wince at it. 

“Sorry, baby,” he said absentmindedly, concentrating on his task. “Did they get you anywhere else?”

“It scratched me,” he answered, lifting his shirt to reveal a set of pink lines across his belly. “It itches, but doesn’t really hurt, though.” Kane sniffed. “It was gonna bite me there, so I kneed it in the chin. I thought...at least that way, it’d kill me quick. But then you showed up and you saved me.” He pressed his forehead to Kellan’s sternum, shaking again.

Kellan rumbled possessively in his chest as he mildly cleaned the scratches over the omega’s gently rounded belly before palming it. “That’s my baby. Give them hell.” 

He wrapped his arms around Kane, letting his scent soothe him, rocking them back and forth again. Kane nuzzled his forehead against Kellan’ chest. He cupped the omega’s jaw and leaned down to kiss him again, sucking gently on his bottom lip. 

Kane’s eyes drifted closed and he shivered. He sat forward and pressed his lips to Kellan’s, hands sliding up to his shoulderblades and pressing the bared skin of their abdomens together. The omega’s shaking gradually stopped.

He kissed him back, rubbing the tips of their noses together. Kane rubbed back, chewing on his lip. “I wanna go to Andromeda. Kahoku…” His voice broke and he sniffed again. “Kahoku told me my dad’s alive. And he’s going. Alec Ryder. I want to go, too. A new start. Somewhere with no vorcha and no betas. I want to be _free_ , Alpha. With you, if you’ll come. But I can’t stay here.”

“We will absolutely go to Andromeda, baby.” Kellan wrapped Kane’s legs around his waist and brought them out to the kitchen again. “You need to eat, love. You’ve been through an ordeal.” He sat Kane on the counter and got a mug of soup for him.

“‘M not hungry,” Kane mumbled, his eyes tired as he held the soup up to his lips and sipped it anyway. 

He tucked a stray lock of hair off Kane’s sweaty forehead, feeling the heat from the omega’s skin under his fingers. That was unusual, but maybe it was just the stress of everything he’d gone through. His brow furrowed at the omega’s droopy eyes and flushed face. 

“Check in with me, baby. How are you feeling? Really?”

Kane swayed where he sat. “Tired. ‘M so tired. And clingy. And...I just don’t feel good, Alpha. I wanna snuggle in your lap and just...just sit. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied softly. “That sounds good. Let’s get you to bed. We’re both probably crashing from adrenaline and we have an early transport to catch tomorrow.” 

He slid Kane off the counter and hitched him up on his hip, carrying him to the bedroom and easing them onto the mattress. He tucked the omega close to him, resting his chin on top of his head and pulled the covers up around them. The feverish scent of his omega drifted over him and sent him off to sleep in a warm nest of blankets and a thin but steady thread of something he’d been afraid he’d lost forever: _home_.

* * *

Hot. Kane was hot. He kicked the blankets off of himself with legs as weak as a newborn puppy and was promptly freezing, though, so he pressed back against the wall of heat behind him. The very large, very Kellan-scented wall. Comfort flooded through him. He must be in heat. That would explain the inferno raging in his veins. He pressed closer to Kellan, grinding his ass against the alpha’s morning erection with a soft sigh. Alpha was home. 

Kellan groaned quietly, fingers digging into Kane’s hips, and moved with him. Desire flared in Kane’s belly, but it was weak, and there was no responding rush of slick like Kellan had always been able to draw from him in the past. Everything ached, but nothing cramped. His belly itched, and when he moved his head to look down at himself, he gasped in pain as his face caught fire. This wasn’t heat. Something was wrong.

He half-sat, trembling like he had when he’d caught the flu that one time when he was little, and blinked to clear his fuzzy vision. The pillow he’d been laying on was covered in streaks of red and a clear mucus that hadn’t dried during the night. He collapsed back into Kellan’s arms, the effort to turn and face him almost too much, and buried his nose under the alpha’s jaw. He just needed more sleep. It was stress. That was all.

The alpha groaned again, a little louder this time as he moved with Kane, trying to keep his hardened length nestled between the omega, but not forcing it and wrapping his arms sleepily around the smaller man. 

“Mm. G’mornin’.” He buried his nose in Kane’s hair with a contented sigh.

Kane mumbled a reply in Spanish into his neck, too tired to translate for him and forgetting how to say it in English anyway. He burrowed deeper into Kellan’s arms, the need to be closer to him making it worth the effort of movement. He wanted to want him, but his body was burning and his mind couldn’t keep up with his thoughts. He didn’t think he’d ever been clingy like this before, but it was understandable after everything he’d been through. Even that, though, felt distant, like it had happened a long time ago to someone else.

A deep inhale ruffled his hair, tacky strands plastered to his skin. Kellan hugged him tighter and paused. “Mmph… What time is it?”

“Donno,” Kane muttered after a long moment.

Cool air made him shiver as the alpha lifted his arm to place it in front of his own face. Kane winced as orange glared through the gloom and hurt his his eyes. Kellan grunted. 

“Time to get up; actually. We need to be at the transport station in an hour.” After a moment, he added sleepily. “You might actually want to take a shower, baby. You smell...odd. Like vorcha.”

Kane nodded weakly and shuddered, scowling at the light. “Five more minutes? I don’ wanna get up.”

“Oh, you’ve convinced me,” the alpha sighed, snuggling with him and letting his omni-tool close, arm dropping back around him. “You’re really sweaty.”

“Too hot. Too cold. My face hurts,” Kane said against his neck. “Never felt this bad after a beating. Stress…”

Kellan shifted the omega to straddle him and cupped his jaw, squinting at his face in the darkness. “Hm. Not that I have a huge amount of experience with stressed omegas, but I’m not sure this is normal. I’m not feeling stress from you. I’m feeling...sick.”

Kane moved sluggishly and leaned heavily on his hand, blinking slowly down at him as he struggled to process the question. “Donno, Alpha. Never had a mate.”

“Maybe it’s exacerbated because you’re pregnant.” The alpha gently ran his hand over Kane’s belly, pausing over the scratches. “Those don’t look nearly as angry as the ones on your face do. We should clean and dress them again anyway, then pack up. Medigel sometimes takes time with vorcha wounds.” He patted Kane’s thighs. “If you’re still sick by the time we get home, we’ll get you to a doctor. If you’re feeling better, we can continue what you started this morning. It’s not a lack of desire, baby. Just not a good time, and I’m worried about you.”

“I don’ feel good enough for it now anyway,” Kane admitted, lying down on Kellan’s chest and rubbing the uninjured cheek over his heart, his eyes fluttering closed again. His arms slipped weakly around the alpha’s neck and he sighed in what would be contentment if he didn’t feel so damn _awful_. 

"Could we just stay here for now? We can go home later. I don’ wanna move.”

Kellan exhaled slowly, still stroking his thighs, concern coloring his scent. “No, baby. We need to get home. Tell you what, you stay here and sleep a little bit longer, and I’ll get everything packed up. I just have a couple bags anyway, and I grabbed your pillowcase. You can sleep on the way. Mmkay?”

Kane sniffed and nosed along his jaw, arms tightening. He didn’t want to get up, but knew he was being unreasonably clingy to ask Kellan not to do what needed to be done. The idea of repeating the long transport ride now was daunting. His limbs weighed him down. He finally slid to Kellan’s side with a huff. 

“Don’ wanna go back in the crate,” he muttered. 

“Crate?” Kellan furrowed his brow and leaned on his elbow above him, stroking his damp hair. “You’re not going to be in a crate, sweetheart. Christ, is that how they brought you here? No, baby, you’ll be in the main cabin with me. I would never let you be put in a crate.”

“Good,” he said, rubbing his eyes against Kellan’s chest. “I wanna be with _you_ , not in a cramped box with a bunch of others.”

Kellan kissed the top of his head and rubbed circles on the omega’s scalp with his fingers. “You’re not leaving my sight, baby. But I _do_ need to start getting our things together. The sooner we get moving, the faster we’ll be out of this hell hole and the sooner we can get you checked out by a professional.”

Kane nodded, sniffing and tipping his head back for a kiss. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Mm…” the alpha kissed him slow and gentle, lingering for a long moment. “Get some rest. I’ll get you up in a little bit.” 

The bed became much cooler against Kane’s heated skin after the large man left. Kane wrapped around his pillow, burying his face in it to breathe in his smell, and told himself that it was stupid to cry. Kellan hadn’t even left the room. He just felt _so_ goddamn _horrible._

* * *

Kellan was worried, deeply worried. His omega was curled up in his lap, nose buried under his jaw, covered in cold sweat and shivering. He’d wrapped a blanket around the both of them even though he was dying of the increased heat himself, but Kane needed it. The odd scent about the omega was strengthening, which made no sense. He’d thoroughly cleaned the wounds on his face and stomach, thanking whatever deity was out there that it was just superficial scratches on Kane’s belly, but the omega’s face… That was a different story. 

His skin was alternating between being heated and flushed to cold and clammy. It was puffy and there were faint pink streaks radiating out from it. The medigel kept the wounds closed, yes, but it didn’t seem like it was helping to actually _heal_ the damage. It just covered it up. It should have cleared the infection by now.

Kellan didn’t like it. He’d seen vorcha do some nasty things to unfortunate souls they’d gotten their nasty claws on and was eternally grateful Kane and their baby had been spared that fate.

Kane whimpered softly, shifting in his arms and clinging tighter. His hand drifted up to his face, but Kellan gently caught it and lowered it down before he could touch it. His breath came in hitching gasps, and the scent of pain lingered around him like a cloud. Across the way, a batarian caught his eye.

He gave the alien a hard look and tightened his arms around his omega. Logically, he figured that one likely had nothing to do with what happened to Kane. It was still a batarian. He'd hated them since Elysium.

“Never thought I’d feel sorry for a human,” it sneered. “Vorcha bite. _Nasty_ way to go.”

“What do you know about it?” he scowled.

The batarian narrowed all four eyes at him. “I know that you’re not going to want to be trapped in this box once the screaming starts.”

Kane whined again, his body flushing a new wave of heat and his shivering making his teeth chatter. He coughed dryly, moaning pitifully and clinging tighter to Kellan. His hand raised to his cheek again and scratched over it before Kellan could catch it, flaking dried blood off and splitting the skin beyond the medigel. Pus welled from the wound, the scent rancid. Kane mewled, jolting awake.

“Owww. Ugh. Alpha,” he whimpered. His voice was thick, like the cheek had swollen on the inside as well and was making it hard for him to talk. “My face is on _fire_.”

Kellan gently tipped the omega’s face to the side, assessing the damage. His stomach dropped. The infection was running rampant. The red lines extending from the wounds had darkened and wrapped around the edge of his eye, which was swollen almost shut. It wasn't that bad when he’d looked last. Kane’s pulse fluttered like a bird under his skin. 

“I know, baby… We’re almost to Arcturus. Mmkay? We’ll get to the doctor as soon as we get there.” 

He leaned in close, inhaling slowly and trying not to recoil at the sickly sweet smell of putrefaction enveloping his omega’s essence. He was beginning to fear that he’d found him and their baby only to lose them hours later to a silent, unknown killer.

“I don’t f-feel good,” Kane whispered, tucking close to him again. His shivers strengthened to outright tremors and his breath came in rapid, hitching pants. Fear threaded through the reek of illness. “‘M worried about the b-baby. Can usually feel it move a little. Jus’ a flutter, but it’s not. All day. Just still.” 

Anxiety and dismay nipped up his spine and he tightened his arms around Kane, rubbing his chin and jaw over the omega’s hair. “The baby’s just taking a nap while you concentrate on getting better. We’ve got plenty of time. You just rest, my love. Sleep if you can. I’ve got you. Got you both, remember? Nothing’s going to hurt either of you when I’m here.”

He glanced worriedly at his omni-tool. Five more hours until port. He hoped to hell he wasn’t lying.


	25. Chapter 25

“From the top, sir. What happened?” the alpha doctor said in calming tones as the nurses prepped Kane’s prone form on the hospital bed behind him. Kellan watched the flurry of activity, brow furrowed in worry. 

“Sir? I need to know what happened,” the doctor tried again. “Can you help me help him?” 

The omega was a pitiful sight in the overly-large bed. One nurse used a portable ultrasound to break up the medigel on his face while another cut his pants off with bandage scissors, peeling them back to expose as much skin as possible.

“He… he’s pregnant. About six weeks, I think? Uh, he said he…” Kellan swallowed hard. “He said he couldn’t feel the baby moving today. And he fainted about twenty minutes ago. We were on Omega.” 

Yet another nurse was placing an IV and prepping a bag of fluids. The doctor nodded, marking notes on his chart. 

“We’ll take care of the baby,” the doctor assured him. “Can you tell me exactly how he received the wounds to his face?”

“Sorry. I’m a little flustered at the moment. He got attacked by a vorcha. It bit his face, scratched his stomach. I don’t know when the last time he ate or drank anything. I gave him some soup last night, but he didn’t drink much. I also don’t know if he was drugged. He, uh, he was in a group that was sold to batarian slavers. And was an omega at a mating center for years before.”

“All important information. And how old is he?”

Kellan wracked his brain, trying to remember if he saw his birthday on the headshot card. “Twenty-one? Twenty-two? Somewhere around there. I don’t know the exact date.”

“Can you approximate his height and weight?”

“Again, I don’t know. Small. And he’s a lot more gaunt than he was even a week ago.”

“Do you know if the father of the baby was involved in this?”

Kellan clenched his jaw. “I did _not_ do this to him.”

“I’m just making sure. We have to ask to make sure there’s no domestic abuse.”

“Abuse, yes, but not at my hands. I was trying to get him _out_.” He bristled at the doctor. How _dare_ he insinuate that he mistreated his omega?

“He’s a lucky omega, then. Most would just leave them at the mating centers to their fate.” The doctor sighed and made more notes on his chart. “We’re going to run some cultures on the tissue samples the nurse took and do a full CBC. He’s septic, that’s apparent, but from what? The bite is the most likely transmission vector, but we need to know what, exactly, he’s been exposed to. Vorcha are immune to most disease, but the bacteria in their saliva can come from an untold number of sources. We’ll need more definitive diagnostics in order to get him the most effective antibiotic.” 

Kellan sighed, suddenly exhausted. “So what does that mean? Are they both at death’s door? Is one going to survive? Are they both just mildly sick and it’s easy to clear out? I apologize for being a little short-tempered, Doctor, but it’s been a long fucking day, and this is my omega and my baby. I just want them to be okay.” 

“I do want to prepare you,” the doctor said gently, “I can’t guarantee we can treat it even if we learn what it is. If the infection has spread too far, or if it’s something we don’t currently have a treatment for, there may not be much we can do. We’ll know more in a little bit. Until then, we’ll start them on a broad-spectrum antibiotic and a mild pain reliever to make him as comfortable as possible. The IV will provide fluids and nutrients for him and the fetus.” 

“Do what you need to. As long as it doesn’t hurt either of them, do it. Whatever authorization you need, I’m giving it now. I’ll sign whatever you need, too.” 

He rubbed a hand over his hair in tired frustration, looking over the doctor’s shoulder at his petite omega swallowed up by the snowy white bed with nurses taking readings and cleaning him.

The doctor’s voice turned sympathetic. “We may need you to make a choice before long. Some therapies can pose a danger to the fetus."

“Save him,” he said. “It does no good to refuse treatment if it kills him. Please, please don’t let him die.”

The doctor nodded. “We’ll do everything we can. Don’t go far, please. The first twenty-four hours will be critical. Also, we should probably find some scrubs for you. If you have any open wounds, that’s dangerous to have on your skin.” 

He gestured towards Kellan’s t-shirt. It was smeared with blood and putrid smelling pus he hadn’t even noticed. He yanked it off and balled it up, awkwardly standing in front of the doctor. Another doctor, a beta female, pushed past him, pulling on a pair of gloves and taking the ultrasound wand from the nurse. She tapped a control on her omni-tool while the nurse spread gel over Kane’s belly, and placed the probe to his skin. 

“We’ll take care of it for you if you like,” one of the nurses chirped, coming up to him with bio-stat readouts on her omni-tool. 

Kellan blinked dumbly at her, words not registering for a minute. “Burn the damn thing. I don’t want it back.”

“Sir,” the beta said. “Are you the father?” 

“Yes,” he answered, hesitant. If it was good news, that was one thing. If it was bad news, he probably would wind up in a hospital bed himself.

She nodded and a sound like tiny hoofbeats filled the room. “The baby is fine. Strong heartbeat. Hear it? Ten fingers and ten toes. Being nice and quiet for, um...mama?...but she’s moving. Would you like to see her?”

Kellan blinked, dumbfounded. “... _Her?_ ”

His feet carried him over to the monitor and he peered at it, not comprehending the black and white image swimming on the screen.

“Yes,” the beta doctor chuckled. “Congratulations, you’re having a daughter. Let me print some of the images out for you to show your, ah. Bondmate.”

He nodded, shocked into silence. There she was, floating comfortably in the black space around her, limbs jerking every once in awhile. 

One of the nurses laughed. “Oh, she’s got the hiccups! That’s always cute.”

The image on the screen shifted as the baby moved away from the wand. Kellan clapped a hand over his mouth, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. “She’s got _hiccups_. My daughter has hiccups?”

The nurse laughed again, pointing it out on the screen. “See how she almost jumps in a rhythm? That’s hiccups.”

“Huh…” His knees went weak, and he swayed. They were having a daughter. He could picture her already, a little girl with dark hair and big brown eyes just like his omega’s.

“Commander, I don’t mean to interrupt,” the alpha doctor said, coming over to him and handing him a blue scrub shirt. “But you should probably get some food in you and get some rest, especially if that's an implant I see in your neck. Go to the cafeteria. They usually have a fairly decent selection. While you’re gone, we’ll have extra blankets and things brought in for you. I’m assuming you’ll want to stay close.”

He nodded as he took the thin blue cotton shirt and tugged it over his head before sticking his hand out to shake it. “Thanks, Doctor…?”

“Doctor Carlyle.” The other alpha shook his hand, giving him a warm, sympathetic smile. “We’ll do our best to care for your mate and your daughter, Commander.”

“Thank you, Dr. Carlyle. I really do appreciate everything. You’re probably right about the food. I’m not sure when I ate last, either.”

“I imagine it makes it all the harder to hear and try to take in all the information we’re slinging at you,” the doctor said, keeping the smile in place.

“Hah. It’s like you’re a doctor or something,” he joked weakly.

“Something like that,” Dr. Carlyle agreed, nodding. “But I also suspect if you don’t eat something, you’ll be inhabiting another bed in another room soon. And we can’t have that, now, can we?” 

Kellan snorted in faint amusement. “Job security. You’d think you’d want me in a hospital bed.”

“On the contrary,” the doctor smiled back, “Having you take up one of my beds would just mean extra clutter to clean out at the end of the day.”

Kellan laughed out loud at that, surprised. “And he’s honest. Thanks again, Doc. I’m sure we’ll be talking again soon.” 

One final handshake and directions to the cafeteria later, he left the room and meandered the halls, following the scent of food. He got a couple of sandwiches, a salad, a fruit cup, and a few granola bars he could stash in his pocket for later and couldn’t help but overhear a trio of betas at the table directly behind him.

“...don’t understand why the docs are fighting so hard. But the damn doctor’s one of them.”

“Didn’t think alphas were smart enough to be doctors,” a second voice said.

“Didn’t think they were allowed to breed anymore, either,” chimed in a third.

“It’s not illegal, Paul. Not yet, at least. You can’t outlaw it till they’re all spayed and neutered. It’s not like they can control it. Especially the alphas. Everyone knows they’re little better than animals.”

“Hey, I know! We should drop them all off on Tuchanka. They’ll fit right in with the krogan. Let them breed to their hearts’ content with the turtles.”

“At least they wouldn’t be here. Vermin’ll overrun us like feral cats if we let them.”

“Where I come from, it’s legal to shoot stray cats if they get in your way.”

“My sister’s in Parliament. You’re not too far off what they’re debating. And with that old badger Kahoku gone, the debate’s pretty much over.”

Kellan’s stomach clenched around a pit of ice, any semblance of an appetite he had utterly gone now. Kahoku was right. Kane had guessed right. He packed a bag with his purchases and walked briskly back to his omega’s room, scrolling through his omni-tool and seeing if he needed to pull a favor.

It was time to find Alec Ryder.

* * *

Kane came back to consciousness slowly, the scent of his alpha permeating the black fog around him first, then the steady beep of machinery and the papery shuffle of feet. The air smelled of antiseptic and illness. His body still ached, but the flames that had licked at his face had receded, leaving tender tissue behind. His muscles felt like he’d been running for days and his left eye was still swollen almost shut. 

His head lolled to the side and he peeked through his lashes, trying not to wince at the white overhead lighting. Kellan’s head rested on the bed beside him, his hand wrapped around Kane’s smaller one. The other splayed protectively over his belly. There was a crease in his cheek, as if he’d recently turned his head after sleeping too long on one side. 

The hand Kane brought across himself was heavy and punctured with a plastic tube carrying clear fluids from a bag over his head. He told himself not to panic, that Kellan wouldn’t have allowed it if it was dangerous, but the sight made his breath quicken anyway. He turned his attention back to his alpha and stroked his hands over Kellan’s short hair as gently as he could. He didn’t want to wake him. He just needed to touch him, to reassure himself that he was still there.

The past...however long it had been since Harkin had woken him up...was a blur. So much had happened. It seemed unreal, looking back on it from the sterile environment of what could only be a hospital. He’d never been in one, but he remembered the doctor’s office his adoptive parents had taken him to just before his world turned upside down. 

His life had taken turns he’d never have been able to anticipate. Harkin, Kahoku, Kellan. And now? Harkin had sold him. He no longer had a legal right to him. The batarian who’d bought him was dead, and they weren’t allowed to own humans in Council space anyway. Kellan hadn’t paid for him. He didn’t have paperwork from Harkin or Ferank. 

By Kane’s estimation, that meant...he was _free_. He could go where he wanted, do what he wanted. He could stay here. He could go to Andromeda. For the first time in his life, his paths were open. The realization made him lightheaded. He’d been so scared.

His alpha sighed in his sleep, some worry or other chasing itself across his strong face and hand pressing protectively over his belly for a moment until the dream changed and the imaginary danger had passed Kellan by. Kane focused on the area beneath that hand, hoping to feel the flutters he’d experienced before, the signs of life that told him their baby was alright. All was still. 

He told himself that if he’d miscarried, there would be pain, but that didn’t stop the spike of panic that shot through him. He had to know. _Now_.

“Alpha,” he rasped in a dry, weak voice. “Alpha.” He gently shook Kellan, struggling to sit up in his weakened condition.

Kellan’s hand tightened over his belly once more as the large man inhaled sharply and moved closer to him with a sleep-filled grunt. Another shake convinced him to crack an eye open at Kane before comprehension rushed in and he smiled, moving his hand from Kane’s belly to cup his jaw, He pressed a soft kiss to the omega’s lips.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, sweetheart. How do you feel?”

“Like I got run over by a...what’re those big aliens? Elcor? Like I got run over by a whole herd of ‘em,” he said, kissing him back. His brows drew together, and his hand came up to cover Kellan’s and link fingers with him. “The...the baby? Is it...I still can’t feel it.”

“She’s sleeping. She was kicking up a storm about a half hour ago. Here-” the alpha twisted himself, squeezing Kane’s fingers affectionately as he snagged a long printout of black and white images.”-see for yourself. Look…” He gave the string of paper to Kane with another gentle kiss before he followed the line of the omega’s jaw back to nibble on his ear.

“She?! It’s a girl?” Kane laughed. “But I don’ know anything about _girls_! I’ve hardly been around them.” He snatched the paper up and brought it close to his good eye, his breath evaporating in his chest. “A girl. _Our_ girl. She’s so pretty. She looks like you.”

Kellan chuckled, nuzzling behind his ear. “Yeah, baby. We’re having a daughter. And for her sake, I hope not. I hope she’s got your eyes.” He brushed his thumb over Kane’s cheek, gently tilting his face up to kiss along his throat before sucking on his bottom lip. Kane let himself be moved, nuzzling back and sliding his arms around Kellan’s neck. “Scared me half to death when you fainted. How are you feeling? Are you better?”

Kane gave him a gentle tug, silently asking him to climb into the bed with him, and trailed soft kisses along his lips. “Bad, but not like I’m dyin’ anymore. I didn’t think I’d wake up after I told you I love you and everything went black. I do, y’know. Love you, Alpha.”

The alpha complied and shifted onto the bed as his neck flushed, just like they had the first few times they’d met, and he grinned. Kane burrowed into his arms with a happy sigh when he said, “I love you, too, baby.” 

“You’re the only person who’s ever said that to me, y’know?” Kane said softly. “Never heard those words directed at me before you. Not even when I was a kid.”

“Then let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with ours, and you keep getting to hear it from here on out.” His alpha nuzzled behind his ear and breathed deeply, the tension he had been carrying drifting away as they relaxed into each other. “I’m glad you’re doing better. Both of you. It was a rough few days, I won’t lie. You had me afraid for the both of you. There were some touch and go moments. But you’re here, you and her. And that means _everything_ to me.” He tucked himself as close to Kane as he could.

“You saved us,” Kane said, rubbing his uninjured cheek against Kellan’s chest. His fingers traced Kellan’s hairline. The alpha closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. Warmth filled his belly. _Safety. Home_. “You saved us. And looked like a vengeful god doing it. You came for me. That’s...I can’t describe it.”

“You’re my everything,” came the quiet reply. The alpha leaned into Kane’s touch with a deep sigh.

Kellan’s eyes fluttered closed and he relaxed into the omega with a small groan of contentment, pressing against Kane’s hand on his head. His arm tightened around the big man and he traced his ear. Kellan sighed peacefully again.

“I’ve put feelers out for your father,” he said. “I’m hoping he’ll feel some camaraderie with the N7 connection in addition to me putting in the subject line, ‘I found your son; he wants you to meet your grandchild. PS, can we come with you?” Kane laughed brightly. Kellan toyed with his ear, biting his lower lip before continuing softly. “You were right. We’re being ousted. The writing’s on the wall. Time to get my family out of here.” 

Kane kissed him, cupping Kellan’s cheeks in his hands. “You’re the best alpha _ever_. We’re going to Andromeda!”

The door hissed open and an alpha Kane had never seen before strode in, relief washing through his scent. “Well, that solves one problem.”

Kane burrowed closer to Kellan and blinked at the man in surprise. “What?” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Alpha, who is that?”

“This is Dr. Harry Carlyle. He’s the reason you’re both still here,” Kellan answered, rubbing Kane’s soft belly.

Kane relaxed slightly, peering up at the doctor. “What solves what problem?”

“It’s good to see you awake, Kane,” Dr. Carlyle said in a soothing voice. “I was afraid I was going to be coming in here with potentially devastating news, but now, I think we can work something out. Kane _Ryder_. Any relation to Alec Ryder?”

“He’s my father,” Kane said warily, wrapping a fist in the odd shirt Kellan wore. 

“He happens to be a friend of mine,” the doctor said. “He’s never told me about a son.”

Kellan quirked an eyebrow at the doctor and rubbed Kane’s belly again to soothe him. “Maybe it slipped his mind? What’s that matter?”

“Curiosity,” the doctor said mildly. “The reason I came in, though, has nothing to do with Alec. I just got pinged while working on Kane’s records. He’s still registered to a Gerald Harkin of Chora’s Den. It looks like his former owner hasn’t filed the paperwork yet. He has thirty days to do so. But as long as the registration is listed as such, I’m required to report that Kane is being treated here.”

Ice crystallized in Kane’s stomach and he buried himself against Kellan, clinging to him and gasping for air. “No. No. Don’ let him take me back, Alpha. Please, no.”

“Yeah. That’s not happening, baby. I’m sure there’s a donation to whatever wing of the hospital Dr. Carlyle thinks is appropriate that would delay that report.” The alpha’s voice was quiet and dangerous as he gazed steadily at the other alpha before him.

“That won’t be necessary,” the doctor said, unfazed. “See, I’m not going to be here much longer, so I’d thought that it would be understandable if a few reports didn’t get sent in until I submitted my final paperwork. However, that would have only bought a week or so. From what you’ve said, that wouldn’t be enough time to relocate. However, if you’re planning on joining the Initiative as well, I don’t see any reason that report can’t be delayed a little longer given that we’ll all be slightly out of their jurisdiction within a few months anyway.”

“I’m not sure I follow. When are you resigning? Is Kane going to be transferred to another doctor’s care? Or are you gonna smuggle him out in the middle of the night and continue treating him at the Initiative HQ?” Kellan furrowed his brow, tightening his arm around the omega.

The doctor chuckled warmly. “No. He’s going to be fine. A few more days of antibiotics and he should be right as rain. I’ll discharge him before I leave next week, but I advise that you get to the Initiative base as soon as possible after that. I can’t promise that one of my colleagues wouldn’t be more...by the book than I am. You’re safe with the OB/GYN. She doesn’t believe children belong in mating centers and doesn’t entirely understand the rules around us. But other doctors, nurses, techs, anyone with access to your chart could get pinged and decide to act rather than talking to one of us first, so I want him out as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping to do, provided Alec gets back in touch with me. I need to get the rest of our ducks in a row in the meantime.” Kellan furrowed his brow in thought. “Thanks again, Doctor. For everything.”

“Harry. If he doesn’t, let me know and I’ll give him a call,” the doctor said, activating his omni-tool. “Here’s his direct contact information. And Jien Garson, founder of the Initiative. She can get you in as well. Last I heard, they still needed soldiers and aren’t really turning any alphas or omegas away even if they don’t have useful skills yet. Garson’s a dreamer. Tell her your story and she’ll make sure there’s a pair of stasis pods with your names on them. For now, why don’t you go make whatever arrangements you need and I’ll take a look at my patient?”

“Why would you help us?” Kane asked.

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” the doctor answered. “And because you look enough like Kayde that you have to be telling the truth about being Alec’s kid.”

“Who’s Kayde?” he asked.

“Kayde Ryder. Your sister,” Carlyle answered. “She’s an alpha and your spitting image.”

“Holy shit,” Kane whispered. A _sister_.

“Hot damn…” Kellan said softly. “Before you ask, no, you’re not dreaming, and no, I’m not going to pinch you just to make sure.” He pressed a kiss on top of Kane’s head and started to get up. His omni-tool flashed as the information packet was received from Dr. Carlyle’s. “I’ll be back in a little bit, baby. Be nice to the doctor. I’ve got to start getting my stuff together for leaving the Alliance. They’re not gonna be thrilled when I resign, but I’m not thrilled they’ve basically eighty-sixed all of us. Ping me if you need me, okay?”

Kane reluctantly released him, a hand trailing after him, and curled up around the pillow. “Yes, Alpha. Promise you’ll come back?” 

“I promise.” Kellan gave him a half-grin and kissed the top of his head again before giving him a soft one on the lips. “Seriously, I’ll only be gone an hour, maybe two, tops. Rest easy.”

Kane cupped his cheek and kissed him back. “Be safe, baby. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Be back in a bit.” The alpha slipped out the door, leaving the two of them to talk.


	26. Chapter 26

“Kane?” The whispered name came from a leather-skinned alpha with slicked-back, graying hair and dark brown eyes. “Are you...Kane Ryder?”

Kane nodded, tucking close to Kellan and taking in the sight of the bustling spaceport and the massive ships hanging in the void with wide eyes. His hand gripped Kellan’s armor tightly, half-afraid he’d step too hard and go flying off the moon’s dusty surface. Kellan’s arm wrapped around his shoulders and the big man nodded encouragingly at him, smiling through his helmet. 

“I’m Alec Ryder,” the alpha said. “I’m your father.”

His _father_. Here, standing right in front of him. It was like meeting a ghost, only the man was very much alive. So why hadn’t he kept Kane? Why had he let him go to the Favilas and then to Harkin? Hadn’t he wanted him? 

“I don’ understand,” Kane said quietly. “I was told you died.”

“No,” Alec said. “They took you. After your mother...died, the Alliance said that a single alpha had no business raising an omega child. They were concerned about…” Alec shook his head. “Ridiculous fears. Betas. Anyway, they left Kayde, but they took you. I fought. I tried to find you, but I was unsuccessful. I thought I’d tracked you down with a couple named Favila, but they said they’d never heard of you.”

“They sold me,” Kane said. “To a...to a ‘matin’ center’.”

“My God,” Alec huffed. “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s...okay, I guess,” Kane said, looking up at his mate. “Kellan saved me.” 

Kellan hugged him, extending his free hand out to Alec. “Commander Shepard, formerly of the Alliance Navy.”

“An N7, I see,” Alec said approvingly, giving his hand a firm shake. “Thank you for returning my son to me.” His eyes went to Kane’s belly, which was rounded even under his envirosuit. “And my granddaughter.”

A woman waited for them when they reached the airlock of the Initiative Headquarters. Her hair, like his, was bleached a pale blonde with an undercut left dark brown. Her arms where her short sleeves left them exposed were covered in colorful tattoos. A slim ring in her nostril glinted in the artificial light. Her dark brown eyes traveled over him. She smelled like an alpha, a biotic one, and was slightly taller than he was. Dr. Carlyle had been right. If Kane had been born female, he’d have looked just like her. 

“Are you Kayde?” he asked.

“I am,” she said. “And you’re my baby brother.”

“I thought you two were twins,” Kellan said.

“I was born first,” she said with a grin. “It’ll be nice to get to know you, Kane. Dad’s told me about you. I’ve always hoped we’d find you someday. Signing up for this was...not an easy decision to make without knowing where you were, but we were out of options.”

“Come along,” Alec said. “We have a group of rooms for the Pathfinder team. I’ve had them set one aside for you. Later, you can meet the other members.” He flashed a glance behind him as he led the way down the hall. “I’d planned to assign Cora as my second, but I hadn’t anticipated having Commander Shepard in my team. If you’re up for it, I’ll name you instead.”

“With all due respect, sir, you don’t know me,” Kellan said.

“You’re an N7,” Alec answered. “That tells me everything I need to know. You’ll be my second. Kane, if you can get trained up in time, I’ll add you to the team as well. If not, then I’m afraid you will need to remain in stasis until we’re able to wake the unskilled civilians. It...might be awhile.”

“We’re both up or we’re both down,” Kellan said firmly. “I understand that the baby will likely need to remain in stasis for a time after we arrive, but I am not waking without my mate.” 

“Okay,” Alec agreed easily. “We’ll find...something he can do, I’m sure. Work on the Nexus or something.”

“I’m biotic,” Kane said. “An’ I’m tough. I can learn to fight.”

“You’re also pregnant,” Kellan pointed out gently. 

“So? I can still learn. Harry said ‘m s’posed to stay active anyway,” he said. 

“We’ll talk about it later,” Kellan said.

“Here’s your room. I’m sure you’re still tired from your ordeal. Get settled in and we’ll meet up in the morning,” Alec said. 

When the door closed behind them, Kellan pulled Kane into his arms running a hand down Kane’s back and cupping his jaw with the other. His smoky eyes searched Kane’s. This was the first time they’d been truly alone since before he’d been sold. 

“How are you, sweetheart?” Kellan asked gently. “You look tired.”

“I’m okay,” he said, sliding his hands over the alpha’s armor and finding the seals. He popped them slowly, keeping his eyes on him. “Not too tired,” he said softly.

“Is that so?” Kellan replied just as quietly. He palmed Kane’s belly. “You’re sure it won’t hurt anything?”

“It’s fine,” he assured him, sliding his braces down his arms. “You won’ hurt her. She’s not even gonna know you’re there.”

Kellan smirked and blinked at him, unfastening Kane’s envirosuit and removing it with an arch look. “Is that commentary on the size of my dick? Are you making fun of me, omega?”

“Now that you mention it…” he teased, stripping the last of Kellan’s armor and peeling his undersuit down and off. 

Kellan huffed a laugh and picked him up, giving his ass a playful swat. “Brat. I’ll just have to work extra hard to make sure _you_ know it’s there. Can’t have anyone saying I don’t please my omega.”

“Alpha!” Kane laughed, pretending to try to wriggle away. They tumbled to the bed in a tangle of limbs and Kane pushed the big alpha’s shoulders, rolling him onto his back. 

Kellan let himself be moved, looking up at him in amused approval. “Feisty omega.” 

Kane kissed down his chest, eyes sparkling, and licked the alpha’s heavy tip, nibbling down his length. Kellan hissed in a breath, threading his fingers through Kane’s hair and fisting a hand in the sheet. His hips rose when Kane took him into his mouth, and he groaned deep in his chest. The sight of his alpha enjoying his touch had slick coating his cheeks. He loved him, loved watching him, loved pleasing him. And now Kane was his, not because a document said so but because they’d chosen each other. 

He took Kellan down as far as he could and opened his throat to take him deeper. The alpha’s guttural moan tore from his chest as Kane held himself so that he could move freely. Kellan’s hand tightened in his hair, his hips moving shallowly to thrust into his mouth. 

Kane slid his hands beneath Kellan’s ass to lend support, his thumb accidentally slipping between the alpha’s cheeks. Kellan’s back arched, his length sliding fully into Kane’s mouth, and Kane froze, waiting for his fury. He might allow him to touch his ass, but to touch him _there_ was something no alpha would allow.

“Oh god, do that again,” Kellan groaned. 

Kane blinked up at him and hesitantly ran his thumb over him again. Kellan inhaled sharply, his hips jerking. Kane swallowed him down, his nose meeting Kellan’s groin, and reached back to wet his thumb with his slick before sliding it over the alpha again. Kellan’s hand went to the headboard, gripping it tightly.

“Fuck that feels…” he blinked down at Kane, tugging his head up. 

Kane released him and looked up at him, his heart thudding in his chest. “‘M sorry. It was an accident—” he began.

“Shh, baby. That feels...really good. I just didn’t want to hurt you. Not the kind of noticing me I want you to do.” Kellan released his hair and curled up to kiss him before sitting back and looking down at him with a knee drawn up. “Touch me, Kane.”

“... _There_?” Kane breathed.

“Yes, baby,” he said patiently. “I want you to touch me there. You said you’ve been with Joker during his heats, right?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“And did you enjoy it?” Kellan asked.

“I...yes, Alpha,” he whispered. 

“Then why should I always be the one in you? I can’t finish that way, of course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself with me. Here,” Kellan said, rolling onto his belly and looking over his shoulder at him. 

“This is...kinky,” Kane said, the beginnings of a grin tugging at his lips. “You’d let me take you?”

“I don’t see why not,” Kellan said, holding his gaze. “I’ll probably need more preparation than you would and I don’t self-lubricate, but we can work with that. When I say that you can touch me any way you want, I mean it. My body is as much yours as yours is mine, Kane.”

“You keep surprising me, Alpha,” Kane said, stretching out beside him and kissing down his spine as he stroked a hand over his ass. 

“Good,” Kellan said, turning his head to watch him with a soft smile on his face. 

Kane’s fingers slipped between him, tracing the line between his cheeks, and Kellan’s legs parted to give him access. When his fingertip brushed over him, Kellan dropped his head with a soft moan, tipping his ass up for him. He used his own slick to wet his fingers and stroked more confidently, teasing his entrance. 

“I’ve...experimented,” Kellan confessed softly. “Alone. Never thought I’d have an omega bold enough to do it.” 

“I’ll take care of you, Alpha,” he promised, kissing up the back of Kellan’s neck and gently pressing a fingertip into him. 

He’d never done this before, he realized as he worked his finger into him, paying attention to his body and taking care to move at the alpha’s pace. He’d thought once there was nothing left that he hadn’t done, nothing new left to experience, but Kellan had shown him differently from the beginning. This was just one more way, one more thing that was just theirs and no one else’s. 

“More,” Kellan whispered, moving with his hand. 

Kane slowly added another finger, kissing over his broad shoulders and sliding his free hand beneath the alpha’s hips to stroke him with slow, steady motions. Kellan’s breath caught and he drew his knees up under himself, his hands gripping the mattress. He was so open and trusting, beautiful and kind, perfect. 

When Kellan was ready, he moved into position behind him, spreading his slick over himself before sliding between his cheeks. Kellan tipped his head to watch his face as he sank slowly into him with shallow, careful thrusts, their eyes locked on each other. He reached back for him and Kane took his hand, his heart fluttering as he slid into the silken heat of his alpha’s body. 

Kane rolled his hips, cautious at first but then more confidently as Kellan’s breath grew ragged and the bigger man’s knuckles turned white where their fingers were laced together. Slick dripped down Kane’s thighs, his moans rising along with Kellan’s. 

He didn’t expect the alpha to simply hand over control and he wasn’t mistaken. After a few moments of adjustment, Kellan began to move, rocking insistently back against him, taking him deeper. His passage flexed around Kane with each thrust, milking him the way Kane had learned Kellan liked and now he understood why. His hips lost their rhythm and his head fell back as he drove into him. Falling over the edge was almost a surprise, his release slamming into him. 

“Fuck me,” he gasped as he spilled into the alpha and his own ass spasmed around nothing, seeking a knot. 

Kellan responded with a harsh groan, pulling off of him and moving swiftly to switch their positions, pushing Kane forward onto his forearms and burying himself in him in a single quick thrust. His hips jackhammered into him, his hand gripping the headboard above him for support. Kane moaned, gasping for air as the alpha mounted him, driving into him until his body tightened. 

Kellan’s teeth sank into his shoulder with a snarled, “ _Mine_ ,” and his knot swelled inside him. Kane twisted to seat it, the pressure against his pocket sending him over the edge again, and he cried Kellan’s name loudly enough that he was sure all of Luna could hear it. Kellan gathered him close, wrapping his arms around him and rolling them onto their sides, his chest heaving for breath. 

“I love you, Kane,” he whispered.

“I love you, too, Alpha,” he replied, sinking back into the comfort and safety of his alpha’s arms.


	27. Chapter 27

“Twist your hand like this,” Kellan said patiently. “Imagine you’re trying to spin a globe from beneath and focus on sending the impulses through your eezo nodules. You can feel the little zing when they activate, right?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Kane said, leaning back into his arms and trying again. 

All of the Pathfinder team had an implant installed to connect them to Alec’s SAM. Kane had elected to get a bio-amp placed at the same time and now that he and Kellan were both healed, he was learning to use his biotics. Usually, Cora was the one who came to instruct him, but she was busy today, so Kellan was helping him.

Kane liked Cora. She was calm and sweet, and she made him feel relaxed and safe. He’d overheard people teasing her for constantly talking about the asari, but he liked it when she started quoting asari philosophers. Her voice softened and she sounded almost maternal. She made him feel...empowered.

Kellan was still uncertain about letting him train while pregnant, but Alec had pointed out the time limit and that they didn’t know what they would face when they got to Andromeda, so if Kellan wanted him awake, he needed to know how to protect himself.

“We must be prepared for any eventuality,” Alec had said. “What happens if we arrive and there’s a mutiny? The other alphas decide they want the omegas to themselves. If he’s on the Nexus and you, Kayde, and I are gone, what’s to stop these rebellious alphas from taking him and enslaving him again? You may be his mate, but I am the Pathfinder. If you want him awake, he _will_ train.”

And that had been that. By the end of the day, he’d been getting a lesson from Kellan in how to put on armor...and take it off again. By the end of the week, Kayde had taken him to the range where he’d discovered that he was a decent shot with a pistol, good with a shotgun, hated assault rifles, and that Kellan teaching him to use a sniper rifle could be as fun as learning to take off armor but that he wasn’t a very good student. By the following week, Kellan had been teaching him hand-to-hand, but wouldn’t let anyone else spar with him for fear they’d accidentally hurt the baby.

His training with everything else was going well, but there was a steep learning curve for biotics and Kane hadn’t gotten over it yet, so he was practicing as often as he could every day. He twisted his fingers the way Kellan showed him and felt the zing under his skin as dark energy flowed through his body. It stopped at his wrist, though, and nothing happened.

“Closer,” Kellan murmured against him. “Try again. Open your hand a little more. Not so tight. Give it a little...flourish.” His tongue darted out and flicked over the skin behind his ear. 

Kane groaned, his knees going weak for a moment before he forced himself to focus, spinning his hand like he was casting a spell. The energy flowed up his arm, out his fingers, and formed a very small, very unstable ball of dark energy. The gravity well floated in the air, bobbing unsteadily. Kane’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. 

“I did that?!” he exclaimed. “ _I_ made that! With my _body_!”

“Yes, you did,” Kellan laughed. “And better than I could do. I’ve never been able to cast a singularity. That stasis I used on...ah, that one time...was the strongest thing I’ve ever been able to pull off.”

The singularity faded out and Kane spun, throwing his arms around Kellan’s neck and kissing him soundly. “I’m a biotic!”

“That you are, baby.” He held up a canteen of juice. “Now, drink, please. Need to keep up your energy. And rest for a few minutes. Don’t overdo it.”

“I’m fine,” Kane insisted, obediently drinking from the canteen. “I don’ need to rest. I’m strong.”

“I know you are, but let me be an overbearing, overprotective alpha to my mate and our baby and rest anyway, please?” Kellan asked, splaying a hand over his tummy. “Besides, I have a sudden urge to have you in my lap.”

“Oh, you do?” Kane asked with a grin that widened when Kellan let him herd him back to the chair in the corner and sit him down, straddling his lap and tugging at his shirt. 

Just a few months ago, he never would have imagined that all he would have to do is walk and an alpha would back up and go where he wanted. He wouldn’t have even tried. But since they’d bonded, he had yet to find anything that Kellan wouldn’t let him do with him. He could wake him up by straddling him. He could come up behind him and hug him. He could touch him anywhere. He could move him how he wanted him. He was everything Kane hadn’t dared to dream about since he was sixteen years old.

* * *

“Alphaaaa….” Kane whined, squeezing Kellan’s hand until he felt the bones grind together. 

“I’m here, sweetheart,” Kellan said. “Relax, baby, you’re doing so well. Just breathe. It’s almost over and we’ll get to meet our little girl.”

“ _You_ breathe, damn it!” Kane snapped. 

“Only if you breathe with me,” Kellan said, caught between amusement and anguish. 

His omega was in pain. That he could feel every bit of that pain along with him didn’t lessen the guilt that Kellan was the one who’d put him in this position. That it was a normal thing and the omega’s body was designed to handle it didn’t lessen his worry. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man, biting down on the point on the back of his neck that would help his muscles to relax and ease his pain. Kane went limp, breathing heavily and wiping a hand over his damp face. 

“‘M sorry, Alpha,” he panted. 

"You’ve done nothing wrong,” he said, releasing the bite. He winced. “Another one coming.”

“Bite me,” he groaned, and Kellan returned his teeth to his neck, holding firmly until the contraction passed.

“Did you know that beta fathers don’t experience labor with the mothers?” Dr. Carlyle asked conversationally. “A coworker of mine used to say that if there was any justice in the world, they would have to before asking their females to take over breeding again.”

“Don’ you dare say you wish you didn’,” Kane grunted. “‘S only fair you have to go through it, too.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he assured him, resting his forehead against Kane’s shoulder and knowing that the worst was yet to come. 

An hour later, he wasn’t sure which of them had screamed the loudest: himself, Kane, or their daughter. The girl was a tiny, furious bundle of dark hair, waving fists, and lungs like a bellows. She had Kane’s tiny nose, big eyes, and bow mouth, and Kellan’s cheekbones and pointed chin. A birthmark on her knee looked just like his mother’s, and she had Kayde’s ears with a little notch at the top that Kane didn’t have. 

“What are we going to name her?” he asked, curled up in the bed with Kane and the baby while Kane fed her from a bottle and cooed at her.

“Hannah Elaine,” Kane said, looking up at him with eyes that glistened with moisture. “For our mothers.”

He’d gotten word the day before that his mother, Admiral Hannah Shepard, was going to stay behind and try to salvage what she could for alphas and omegas who remained in the Milky Way. By the time they woke from stasis, she would be six hundred years dead, and he would be an orphan just like so many others taking this journey. 

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and cupped Kane’s cheek in his hand. “Are you happy, sweetheart?”

“I’ve never been so happy in my life,” Kane said. 

He was glowing, so different from the omega he’d brought back to Arcturus only a few months before. His belly still held a pooch that would take some time to tighten up again, but his body was toned in ways it never had been before. His hands were still soft, but forming calluses. His very posture was straighter, more confident. He no longer tried to fade into the background. He hadn’t cowered from Kellan in months and he no longer deferred to every alpha who came around him. Kellan hadn’t seen fear in his eyes in weeks outside of the nightmares that sometimes plagued his sleep. And now, he radiated delight. 

Kellan smiled, holding his mate closer, and rested his cheek on his omega’s hair and traced a finger over their daughter’s chubby cheek. He was so easy to please. Making him happy was a joy. He asked for so little: home, love, security, family. The most basic things thrilled him. Kellan couldn’t imagine denying him anything, and Kane paid it back in spades, everything Kellan had ever wanted. He said a silent thanks to Kahoku. Without the old politician, he wouldn’t have met Kane. He wouldn’t have little Hannah. He’d still be thinking that a position on the Council or in Parliament was the goal to strive for. It wasn’t. This. This was everything. His family. 

* * *

Kane froze, a blue corona surrounding him and Hannah, and Kellan spun in the direction of his gaze, putting himself between his family and the threat. Kane waited for him to take in the situation before stepping up beside him, his arms protectively around the baby. Miranda had just walked through the airlock, followed by a group of people still in envirosuits, the rear brought up by a male with a familiar hitching gait. 

Joker!

The beta caught sight of them and approached cautiously, holding her hands up to show that she wasn’t a threat. Kellan remained tense, but made no move toward her. 

“I come in peace,” she said, “and I brought gifts, though I’m not sure you’ll want one of them.”

Joker limped up to them as Kellan said, “It was you, wasn’t it? You sent me the coordinates.”

“My father sold my sister to Harkin when he learned she was an omega,” she said. “He let a client kill her and did nothing. I’ve been working toward his demise for a long time.”

“Where is he?” Kane asked, staying close to Kellan, but feeling none of the fear he’d expected to feel when faced with the reminder of his past. 

“Dead,” she said. “I brought the omegas and a few good alphas with me. I know I can’t come along, but it seemed the least I could do. I’m sorry I didn’t do more for you, Kane. I wanted to spare you pain, but trying any more than I did would have blown my cover.”

The others began to dissipate, removing their helmets and drifting further into the facility, leaving Joker and a dark-haired omega who gave him a wheedling smile and dipped her knees as she said with false innocence, “Hello, Kane. May I come, too? I promise I’ll be good. You won’t even know I’m there. Promise.”

“Leave,” he said coldly. “If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you.”

“And here I thought we’d be such good friends,” she purred, her eyes narrowing. “I only did what I had to in order to survive. Can’t we let bygones be bygones?”

“Take that one with you,” Kellan told Miranda. “She’s not welcome in the Initiative.”

“Done,” Miranda said, wrapping a hand around Maya’s arm. “Good luck to you, Shepard, Kane. Cute baby.”

Joker shot Miranda a jaunty salue as she walked away, dragging Maya with her, and turned to Kane with a grin. “Think they’ll let me fly one of those ships?”

* * *

Kane stood in the aisle between the stasis pods with Hannah sleeping in his arms and Kellan wrapped around him. He looked up at his alpha, concern approaching fear running through his veins now that he was standing on the _Hyperion_ and they were beginning to load into their pods. 

What if something happened along the way? What if they never woke up? What if babies couldn’t tolerate stasis? What if they were never allowed to wake her? What if she woke up and the six century pause in development was too much for her tiny body and she ended up with deficits? What if she died? 

“I can’t,” he said, his breath coming in rapid pants. “We can’t. She’s too little. She’s too young. I can’t leave her. Put her in there with me. She can wake up when I wake up. It’ll be fine.”

Kellan cupped his face in his hands and pressed his forehead to Kane’s. “Relax, omega,” he said soothingly. “Nothing is going to happen to her. We’re going to go to sleep, and then we’ll wake up and we’ll find a new home. Somewhere safe for her. Somewhere she doesn’t have to be afraid of being killed or enslaved for her gender, somewhere she can be free. Think about it, baby. She won’t remember the Milky Way at all. Andromeda will be her home. She’ll never have to go through what you did. We just have to get there. Everything will be alright. I promise you, Kane. And have I ever broken a promise to you?”

“No, Alpha,” he said, relaxing in the big man’s comforting embrace. “She’s just so little.” 

He traced her tiny fingers with their almost invisible fingernails and her soft, round cheek before pressing his nose to the top of her head. Her dark, fluffy hair tickled his nose as he breathed in a scent he knew he’d remember till the day he died. His daughter. The baby he’d wanted for so long. He couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her.

“I know,” Kellan said, gently rubbing his thumb over a tiny, bootied foot. “And she’ll be awake and growing before you know it. Put her to bed, sweetheart, before she wakes up. I know you, love. We’ll be late departing if she starts crying.”

“Yes, Alpha,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head and laying her carefully into the miniature bed of a stasis pod specially designed for babies like her. She looked so soft and vulnerable surrounded by all that tech. “Sleep well, Hannah, darling. Your daddies will be here when you wake up.”

Kellan leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “Dream big dreams, baby girl. We’re taking you home.”

The pod closed and there was a hum as it activated. Kellan pulled Kane into his arms and held him tight, shielding him from seeing her frozen. The alpha watched until the pod was moved into its slot between his and Kane’s and then ushered Kane to his own. He tipped Kane’s face up to meet his as he kissed him tenderly, his thumbs brushing Kane’s cheeks like it was the last time he would ever get to kiss him. Kane clung to him, melting into the kiss, his hands fisting in the blue and white Andromeda Initiative uniform. 

“I love you, Kellan,” Kane whispered, running his fingers through his alpha’s hair. “You are worth it. All of it. I’d go through it all again if it meant finding you.”

Kellan shuddered and held him close, burying his nose behind Kane’s ear. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never have cause to feel differently. I love you, too, Kane. With all my heart.”

Kellan laid him back in his pod and stepped back, his eyes not leaving Kane’s until the window hazed and darkness overtook him. Kane closed his eyes in the Milky Way.

And opened them in Andromeda.


	28. Epilogue

A little girl with long, dark hair ran through the grass with a joyous squeal. She was six and short for her age with a delicate build. Her big, brown eyes sparkled with laughter at the silver turian chasing her with a flower that resembled a dandelion found on Earth but smelled like the ocean. An asari frolicked alongside them, her appearance that of an adult human but her mentality still childlike. A quarian laid on her back, looking up at the sky above her and the land beyond that with her hood fluttering in the breeze. 

Beside the quarian, the alpha daughter of Joker and his bondmate, Edi, picked out pictures in the clouds. They joked at times about the family they would form should Hannah grow up and choose to bond with the alpha girl, but even in jest, they never failed to acknowledge that she would get to _choose_. 

“You did good, Pathfinder Ryder,” Kayde said beside them. “Dad would be proud.”

“You think so?” Kane asked, looking over at her.

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “He wouldn’t have _told_ you, but he would have been.”

“From a Tenth Street brothel to creating a new home for your people in a new galaxy. I’d say that’s a story to be proud of,” Kellan said, nuzzling behind his ear. “I told you it would be alright, didn’t I? We did it. Our little girl is safe. We’re home.” 

Kane leaned back in Kellan’s arms, watching the children play. His alpha’s hands rested on his distended belly where their son grew, soon to become part of the first generation born in Andromeda, the first to call Meridian home. The journey had been long and more difficult than anticipated. They’d lost people and gained people, fought and overcome, but they’d finally found a place to belong. 


End file.
